The Galaxy is My Game
by WDO345
Summary: Rewrite of Let Me Screw Around in The Clone Wars. SI God-like being comes into Clone Wars universe, creates his own faction, and plans to join the war to basically have fun. Crossover elements from other series' as well.
1. Chapter 1

**It was not my intention to have deleted the first ten chapters of Let Me Screw Around in the Clone Wars but what's done is done. So this is my rewrite because I don't have any files of the first one left. This one will be more slow and I'm starting it off witha a few changes. Other thanthan that I was pretty miffed, had a great trench warfare scene in the chapter I was doing, but like all things, it was scrapped.**

The viewing room inside the vastness that was the void was beginning to grow tiresome. Especially for a nigh omnipotent being like Dolan, a veritable god inside this vast open world that he lived in. For a being like him, he very much enjoyed entering worlds and having fun in them at his own leisure. Today was no different, and Dolan watched the viewing room change shape and perspective until finally it landed on the Clone Wars universe, just at the very start of it.

Dolan whistled, already knowing what it was he wanted to do. With a crack of his neck, Dolan entered the Star Wars universe, and let the fun times come to him.

 **The Galaxy is my Game**

 **Chapter 1: The Setting**

The Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems were at war with each other, but for all the talk of war, the Clone Wars was a relatively small affair. Dolan had no interest in keeping it a small war, and had every intention to escalate. But first, he must create a setting, he must make the Star Wars universe he wanted to fight in, or better explained, the ideal Clone Wars for himself.

So Dolan did the one thing he knew, he ripped off other TV shows because he was an unimaginative little fuck. He teleported himself above Mustafar, the main factory for CIS droids, and expanded the number of factories and raw materials available to them by spawning them in. He also created factories designed to building NS5s from the movie I,Robot, and implanted information of Terminator models into high ranking Separatists leaders that would develop them and implement them in the war when the ideas would fully realise themselves inside their mind. This was all planning to make sure the war lasted longer, and to give the CIS a far greater advantage rather than just numbers. The NS5s and Terminator droids would certainly boost the CIS fighting capability, and make them a more formidable foe, while the extra factories meant that the CIS could contain more ground than the Republic.

Flexing his fingers Dolan then transported himself to Kamino. Same as he did on Mustafar, Dolan added more cloning facilities, ARC trooper and Commando training centres, and equipment development areas. Like previously stated, Dolan had no intention to keep the war small, and was planning on making it as large as possible. The clones had better advantages for now as organic soldiers, but the only way to make them more capable was to give them better equipment, and there was only one way to do that.

He appeared over Coruscant and placed large quantities of Gold inside the Republic treasury, and set it so that many of the Senators would dedicate these funds to the development of the Clone Army. Then, because he was right next door, he began placing in Jedi Masters and Padawans into the Jedi Temple. The war was so ineffective plainly because of the incompetence of some of the Jedi, and Dolan made sure that every Jedi he added was more than a competent soldier, and that they were warriors of the highest tier.

With that done, he went to the last place he needed to be. Right above the Death Watch camp. Pacifistic Mandalore was nothing to bother with as it was, but Death Watch? With all the war going around, Death Watch would definitely be needing some upgraded equipment to fight off the Republic and CIS, forcing Mandalore to either rearm themselves or making the Republic lose more men in dealing with Death Watch. Dolan bolstered Death Watch numbers with ten thousand more Mandalorians, more weapons, tanks, and armor, as well as plans and several suits of Fallout Power Armor for them to use. A little artillery would definitely be useful for them, and if anyone was going to make use of the armor, it was definitely them.

Finally, Dolan would create the last piece for himself. Dolan may be in it for some excitement in his life, but he was also in it to fuck up Palpatine's plans, and what better way to do that then to add his very own faction into the mix of things, and just for shits and giggles he'd call it the Empire of Peace and Chaos, Empire for short. He contemplated the possibilities of making a stormtrooper corp but decided against it.

He found a random planet in the outer rim and populated it with about 2.2 million people, filled it with architecture fit for a aristocratic world, and then put up a palace for himself where he would rule as an Emperor. Then he started to populate several dozen other worlds, these ones with various other creatures. He wanted to make the Empire as diverse as possible, to make the army just as diverse, something that the Republic and CIS clearly lacked.

Now the military. First he stole ship designs from Halo, preferring the utilitarian design over anything else, and populated the ships with crews and other whatnots needed to pilot them. He created fighters and bombers wholly unique to himself, and then started to build up an armed forces. He took the Atlesian soldiers he'd seen from the show called RWBY, and then added large worlds completely dedicated to recruiting and training these soldiers; now known as Imperial Knights.

The Imperials Knights would be the bulwark of the Imperial Army. Then Dolan went about organizing the rest of his army. There would be the Sangheili Legions, Locust Armies, Muton Shocktrooper Corp, Asari Commandos, Conduit Special Forces, Inquisitorial Order, and the Balverine Combat Order. These were his troops, his units, his soldiers. The soldiers of the Empire. Dolan nodded to himself, satisfied with what he had, and then began populating other worlds.

The lore and history of the worlds were up to the universe to decide, they were usually better at it than him anyway. What worried Dolan though was what would happen when the bleeding effect took place. Essentially, Dolan's meandering through the various multiverses led to many problems, and usually things he didn't intend to bring along with him would be dragged into this universe. Oh well, what was the worst that could happen? Nothing too bad he hoped.

With everything done, his setting, his world, his home, Dolan brought himself down onto the Palace and did his final preparation, he spawned in Gilgamesh from F/SN and made him an empty shell. Dolan would have no problem being an Emperor in his current body if, well, he didn't not look like an Emperor. Also, being inside Gilgamesh's body would limit his God abilities while at the same time making him pretty OP. Screw what others said, cheating was fun as hell, but everyone needed a challenge once and awhile.

Everything was set in place, the Star Wars universe was now officially created to his whims, and he stared at the face of Gilgamesh with a wry smile on his face. Once he stepped into Gilgamesh's body, he would become Gilgamesh, and whatever backstory that the universe concocted for him, it would strike at him all at once, and he would have to deal with it by himself. Fun. So without further ado, Dolan closed his eyes and became one with Gilgamesh, and then everything came along with him.

0o0o0o

The Empire of Peace and Chaos did not start as it did. The Empire of Peace and Chaos was originally the Kamalesh Empire of Terra. In the Solar System of Terra's home, Sol, there were two other planets that teemed with life. The Water People of Gavilan and the Reds of Bathos. These three people eventually met each other when they achieved space flight at around the same time. As you would imagine, war came about quite soon.

In the midst of the decade spanning war, their solar system was nearly destroyed. Gavilan was no more, turned into dust and ash - lost to the Galactic records as nothing more than a footnote in history. The Reds of Bathos, however, had been defeated by the Kamalesh and absorbed into the Empire without fuss. For the next ten years, the remnants of the war would rebuild their homes, mending the damage caused on their solar system. For a while, all was peaceful, and the Kamalesh Empire was living in a golden age.

Then disaster struck, and the Flood, parasitic lifeforms that came from a neighbouring galaxy, arrived and destroyed city after city. Whole fleets and armies of soldiers were turned against them, and the remaining survivors of Kamalesh, Reds, and some Gavilans, retreated to neighbouring solar systems to recuperate their strength. There the Empire would wait for another century before they gained the strength to take back their home.

After another decade of war, the Kamalesh Empire discovered that extensive interbreeding between their people, the Reds, and the Water People, had essentially made them one species, and the Kamalesh Empire was disbanded in favor for the Empire of Peace and Chaos. Now having their home all to themselves again, preparations were made to prepare for another Great Flood attack and the Empire began bolstering their troop numbers and advancing their technology.

Centuries later, during the reign of Samhain the Third, the Empire would be embroiled in another war this time with the Goa'uld and their Unas host. Samhain the Third, young at time, was caught incapable of defeating the Goa'uld and their Unas hosts. Eventually, Samhain was killed by the Goa'uld and his younger sister, Semiramis, took over and defeated the Goa'uld following a decade long war. Hardened by war and very young at the time, Semiramis ordered the full eradication of the Goa'uld, killing them by the thousands and taking their worlds for their own. The Empire of Peace and Chaos then set themselves to rebuild.

Cynical and haunted by the war she fought against the Goa'uld, Semiramis grew a very detached view of the world, and would develop an expansionist mindset. Every xeno race they encountered had met them with large hostility, and war would usually break out between the Empire and the new Xeno race. Semiramis, however, would choose to adopt the new race as members of the Empire, with the sole adage that their culture and identity would be purged in favor of Empire doctrine. Their very first conquest, the Sangheili, agreed to the terms, asking only that their heritage be preserved and acknowledged in history. Semiramis accepted, and the Order of Records was developed, who took long great oaths to ensure that they would always write history in as unbiased a method and record every species, their cultures, their history, and store it in the Great Library of the Empire.

Eventually this mindset evolved into a single practise within the Empire. Uniformity leads to unity, and through unity there is peace. In the use of Chaos we ensure Peace, in use of Purge we bring Life. The sole cruz of this mentality was that all xeno cultures would always clash defiantly against Imperial ideals, and that the best course for peace would be too accept the Imperial culture of absolutely none. They celebrated no holidays, they participated in no activities beyond recreational, and they all worked towards the purpose of Imperial advancement. As more and more xeno races continued to fight against the Empire for sometimes no reason at all, the Imperial citizens were affirmed of this, and subjugation of Xeno races became standard procedure.

The only race they could not subjugate was the Locust Horde. The Locust Horde strip mine their worlds, and were capable of living in very dangerous environments. As such Imperial soldiers were incapable of competently battling Locust soldiers and had been murdered in the droves. Their war continued to drag on to near infinite levels, with Locust worlds growing more and more desolate, while Imperial resources were expanded more and more on a front that seemed endless while they fended off attacks from the Protoss.

Realising the conundrum they faced, a deal was struck. The Emperor would marry the Locust Queen, who differed from the other Locusts as she was human-base standard, and together they would rule over the Empire of Peace and Chaos as the Locust Horde was now a part of the Empire. The Queen accepted this and they wed. A rule was put into place, Each subsequent Locust Queen would have to marry a member of the royal peerage, the Emperor himself if situation permitted it. Usually though, Locust Queens would marry the Emperor and that would be the end of it. The point also stood that the Empire also had a system of meritocratic gavelkind, so blood sometimes wasn't an issue, though it would rarely get in the way.

The Empire now dealt with small threats. The Protoss had been pushed back to the reaches of wild space, Xenomorph infestations were plentiful but the Imperial Army was more than capable of handling them. Right now the Empire was on peacetime, and the effects of the war against the Xenomorphs mattered very little in the long run.

In this year, circa 2000 years after the formation of the Empire of Peace and Chaos, and it was currently under the reign of Emperor Gilgamesh and his wife Locust Queen Myrrah. They have several children under them, the two oldest being Astronema and Cyclonis, while the two youngest were Finn and Pacifica.

Gilgamesh grunted as all the information hit him, and then sighed imperceptibly as he smoothed himself out into his throne. At least now that the worst of it was over, Gigamesh could prepare for what was to come next. He rose from his throne and stepped down the stairs. He knew without a shred of doubt that beyond the doors to his throne room his wife would be waiting for him.

Gilgamesh cracked his neck and reviewed what he knew of his character. From what he knew Gilgamesh was a very detached and despondent person, but he was also very kind to his children. In fact, outside of the sphere of his children Gilgamesh could be stated to be cold or aloof. Even his wife was second to their children. Understanding his character, Dolan stepped forward and pushed the throne room doors open.

It opened with a loud rumble and Gilgamesh stood imperiously in the doors as lines upon lines of red armored Royal Guards stood at attention by the walls. They all straightened at the presence of him and snapped crisp salutes full of loyalty and respect. Gilgamesh turned away from them and looked to his wife, Queen Myrrah, standing idly next to the door, her hands folded next to her and an exasperated look on her face. That was something Gilgamesh expected, but he had to blink in surprise when he noticed his son, Finn was standing idly next to her, swaying slightly.

Dolan may be playing a character right now but he wasn't one to smile often when he was larping, so Gilgamesh merely untensed his shoulders and softened his serious look as he stepped towards his family.

"I expect you didn't wait long?" Gilgamesh said, stopping at arm's length away from Myrrah. There was a tenderness in his voice, and in the air around him and Myrrah. Is it the kind expected of married couples, Gilgamesh wasn't one to know, but it was there. Despite the fact that the memories of Gilgamesh showcased that the two were always aloof with each other, there certainly was something in Myrrah's eyes. Respect maybe.

"I expect your time alone thinking while we stood here was helpful?" Myrrah shot back. Despite himself, Gilgamesh felt the edges of his lips twitch at the jibe; and he watched idly as Myrrah quietly gestured Finn forward with her hand. Despite her cold look and imperious form, she also exuded a tenderness with their youngest son Finn as she did with Gilgamesh.

The Emperor looked down on his son, the inner Dolan inside him quietly miffed at it, but Gilgamesh outwardly remaining calm and aloof. In contrast, the atmosphere around Finn, in between Myrrah and Gilgamesh, was one of fond familial love, and it was enough to calm Finn down. It should be noted that the Finn in front of Gilgamesh was not the same Finn as in the TV show, key components were the same but not all of them.

Finn hesitated for a moment before quickly firming up his back to look at Gilgamesh in the eye. _Good_ , the Emperor thought as he waited for his son to speak his mind. "Da-I mean," Fin glanced at his mother for this. "Father, I want to join the Imperial Knight Corp!"

The Emperor blinked his eyes at the request, and then turned them towards his wife. For a moment he contemplated what that could mean. Due to the meritocratic system of gavelkind they used it was a matter of time before Finn would have asked for something like this. In essence, he would basically have to prove himself to the Empire, earn his keep, and become renowned as Prince Finn if he were to receive even a fraction of Gilgamesh's titles, even the seat of Emperor itself. Of course, knowing his son, Gilgamesh expected his intentions to be more pure.

"If that is your wish, however, I must caution you obliquely. What is your exact plan in joining the Imperial Knights? Will you be a regular soldier? An officer? What is it that you aim to achieve?" Gilgamesh asked. He'd been a father enough times to know that questions like these are par for the course, and despite himself, GIlgamesh did not want somebody who looked up to him as a father to do anything he would regret. It just didn't sit well with the transdimensional being.

Finn deflated a bit, looking around hesitantly as he focused his thoughts on the reason. "I don't know, I just thought I'd do some good, you know? I mean, what better way to do some good than to serve the Knights?"

"As an Officer or as a regular Knight?" Gilgamesh pressed.

Finn rubbed the back of his neck, his face pensive. He looked at Myrrah for a moment and gulped. "Mom said I should be an Officer, but I kinda want to be a regular Knight." Gilgamesh raised one of his eyebrows, and turned to his wife. That wasn't just larping, that was an actual question on his face.

Myrrah breathed in deeply, and there was a brief spark of annoyance on her face as she waved her hand in front of her. "I thought being an Officer would best suit Finn's talents, but also keep him in check from the more...dangerous aspects of a Knight."

"I can take it," Finn defended himself. "Mom, I'm the best fighter Ser Kallick has trained, and my swordplay is just as good, if not better, than Astronema!" Finn crossed his arms over his chest, glaring indignantly at his mother. At the way Myrrah sighed, Gilgamesh had the thought that this was a regular occurrence. No, what was he saying, he had memories of going through this himself at times.

"Imperial Knights don't use swords as often as you think, Finn. Why not join the Inquisitors if you want to showcase your skills so much," Gilgamesh asked.

Finn pouted. "Astronema is an Inquisitor." Gilgamesh sighed, grasping at faint air trying to comprehend what it was that was fueling his youngest son's thoughts. "Besides, I can do good in the Knights. You know, like fighting for the weak and beating off bad guys!"

"The Imperial Knights aren't like the stories of Knights you hear in books," Myrrah cautioned. She placed her hands on Finn's shoulders, trying to ease him back to sense but Gilgamesh shook his head. His son was too stubborn for his good, and Gilgamesh had no right to take it away from him.

"If that is your wish," GIlgamesh stated imperiously. Myrrah backed away, surprised by his words, but resigned in acceptance. However, Gilgamesh wasn't one to let things slide without his own intervention, and who knows, maybe the Knights would be good for Finn; at least now that Jake wasn't with him anymore. "You will join the Imperial Knights, and I expect you to serve admirably, without pause, from the very beginning of the ranks. You will not be given special treatment and I fully expect you to achieve glory to match or outshine your sisters, is that understood?"

Finn blinked, then made his face into something solemn as he nodded his head. Gilgamesh couldn't say anything anymore to the child, and what he got out of the Imperial Knights will be a discussion for himself and only himself. The Emperor sighed and then nodded to the hallway. "Then you best go and tell Ser Kallick of your decision, he will get the papers handled. I do expect you to be shipped out to Exor-IV by the end of the week. Say goodbye to your sisters until then, and don't be rude to them."

Finn nodded his head and excitedly took off running down the hallways, his laugh loud enough that Gilgamesh could spy a few of the Royal Guards giving small grins at his joy. The Emperor ignored them and turned to his wife. She was standing there, dressed in the garbs most commonly associated with the Locust Queens, head crest and all, and tilted her head at his look.

"What is it?" She asked. There was a smile on her face, not the smile of a wife, but more like the smile of one monarch humoring another, and that was essentially what they were. Monarchs ruling together, not necessarily as husband and wife.

Gilgamesh allowed a quirk of his lips to be shown, and he nodded to the pathway. "Walk with me, my wife, I wish to speak of our daughters. I hear your training for Cyclonis to be the new Locust Queen goes well."

Gilgamesh began striding down the hallway, at a far more sedated pace than the one Finn had been using, and was pleased to see his wife following after him, striding with the same regal grace as he was, and appearing as imperious as the Royal Guards standing at attention on either side. "She has shown to be quite receptive to the ways of the Horde, far more than Astronema at the least. I do believe that the Horde would flourish underneath her."

"Only if the Empire allows it," Gilgamesh stated. A look of consternation passed the Locust Queen's face and she broke her stride for a moment before she corrected herself. "I understand I have been a most receptive Emperor to the Locust Horde, and I believe I have given you free reign to do as you please, and indeed even gifted you two planets for your people, but the next Emperor to be may not be as understanding as I."

"You speak so little of Finn, it's hard to wonder why he idolizes you," Myrrah stated obliquely. Gilgamesh breathed in deeply, keeping his irritation in check as he paused by the window.

"You and I both know Finn has no interest of the throne, even if you put your machinations in place. Anybody in the Royal Peerage can become Emperor, my children, my sister's children, or even the ruling heads of each of our government branches. They are all considered of Royal Blood as they have gained such prestigious titles."

"As a mother I aim to make all my children a contributing member in all facets of life," she said, then shook her head. "But you cannot blame me for thinking of my people. Yet, I find your points validated. Which is why I believe you must be harder on Cyclonis, not as your daughter, but as the next Locust Queen, so that she would be better prepared to handle any next Emperor."

Gilgamesh snorted. "What is your worst case scenario?"

"Grand Master Xehanort would be the one I would mostly worry about," Myrrah stated. Gilgamesh bit his lip, a new onslaught of memories coming to him in order to supply this new information, and he nodded his head slightly when he was given the full picture of Grand Master Xehanort of the Inquisitors.

"Still, even if that were to happen, Astronema would be next in line to take over, and his power would be limited in dealing with the two sisters," Gilgamesh stated. A brief spark of confusion hit Gilgamesh when he noticed a bitter smile spread through Myrrah's face. She folded her hands in front of herself and sighed.

"You seem to love your children very much, Your Majesty. However, you would be wise to understand that your children, while they may love each other, may not work for each other. I love my sister and my brother dearly, and I speak with them often, but if you ask whether I trust them, I would say no, I do not."

"That seems a slight on your family, but I do not believe your younger brother to be anything terrible. He forsook his title claimant to the throne to instead earn his own way in life," Gilgamesh said.

Myrrah smiled. "That was why I did not mention him, rather I mean my older brother, the one who abdicated to you when you rose as a nominee for the throne. He is the one I worry about. He may not have any aspirations for the throne, but I do not believe he has no aspirations of power."

"Then I am lucky to have you," Gilgamesh stated. Myrrah smiled crookedly, it wasn't something that he could understand the intentions too so quickly, but it most definitely was something non-threatening.

"Most certainly," she replied. Gilgamesh frowned but did not comment on what she said, instead he turned his eyes onto the window and watched the skyline of Terra as ships and floating cars zipped by. In a few light years away there was a war just beginning. Here? There was a war preparing.


	2. Chapter 2

The 31st Imperial Knight Legion Patrol Fleet, IDENT No. FG-22569, had just left slipspace to begin their hourly patrol around the Helix cluster of solar systems bordering Imperial Space. This patrol fleet, consisting of four Destroyers, two battle cruisers, and one battleship, had recently been resupplied and reassigned to this front following the eradication of the Xenomorph Hive of Kenu-V, and as such most of the men manning and crewing the ship were veterans of the Xenomorph Extermination Campaign, and were still quite twitchy after their four month long siege on the planet.

Captain Killian of the 31st Imperial Legion, Beta Company, felt that the suddenness of their reassignment was a mistake. As a veteran himself, he thought it would have been a better move to assign fresher recruits onto this relatively simple assignment rather than cutting back on their already beleaguered front with the Xenomorphs. But alas, he was not the Chief of Staff, not even coming close to the Emperor, so all he could do was suck it up and make sure his men did not act in any way unbecoming of seasoned soldiers.

His regiment was currently stationed onboard the INV Sagittarius, with the majority of the crew currently drilling with the obstacle course built into the ship proper. Kallian was a firm believer in practice makes right and made sure every minute his men spent not in downtime, they were simulating a war between each other. They were the 31st, the Undaunted, and they would always be prepared for when the Emperor called for them.

"Keep those flanks covered Knights!" Kallian yelled, pointing at an open space in between first and second platoon as they simulated raiding a small compound. His Knights quickly moved at his direction and jabbed their rifles at enemies that weren't there, all the while careful not to upset their Captain. Kallian snorted and decided that the faux mission had begun to lose it's luster with his men and signalled for them to stop. "Alright, to the mess the lot of you. Jacht I expect you to eat your greens this time, I'll ask the Mess Chief if you did!"

The named Knight ducked his head sheepishly at his Captain's threat and ran off with the rest of his batch mates as they looked to fill their bellies with warm shook his head and turned to the hangar bays. Sometimes Kallian was running less of a military unit and more of a group of boys he'd been randomly forced to adopt. Most of that was true, in a sense, ever single one of them was drafted when they hit puberty.

"Flight Chief," Kallian called, waving an older port man towards him. Flight Chief Kabazzen, one of the very many Ace pilots the Empire had from their war with the Protoss a few dozen years ago, walked towards him, a faint smile on his face as he regarded Kallian. Kallian executed a sharp bow of respect, because even though Kallian outranked Kebazzen, the Flight Chief was most certainly deserving of higher respect. "I'm sorry to have ask you this Flight Chief, but I would like to know if the new JD-12 Rifles have been shipped into storage yet?"

The Imperial Knight's Atlas Staple Weaponry, or ASW-17's, were the standard issue rifles that they used. However, Kallian had been opting for shipments of the newer Joss Demolitions, JD-12 rifles that had been in production for the past year and a half for his sapper units. Usually Kallian would ask the Supply Officer, but those Stiff-Collars would rarely disclose recently arrived shipments with a mere Captain, so Kallian was forced to trouble the Flight Chief with this.

Kebazzen hummed, staring up at the ceiling as he recalled the past few days since they'd been in space. Finally, after a minute of thought while Kallian waited patiently, Kebazzen shook his head. "I'm honestly sorry Captain, but I have no memory of such a shipment arriving onto the ship. I'm sure General Callus can be of more help to you."

General Callus was too busy to talk to people like me, Kallian thought bitterly but didn't voice it out loud. He nodded in thanks to the old, wizen, war hero, and bowed his head as the man left to rejoin with his other pilot brothers. Kallian glanced down the hallways of the large ship and sighed breathily. "Back to the cot then," he muttered. An Officer had little to do nowadays, merely going in rotations with the Xenomorph front every now and again.

He left the hangar bay and walked down the stark utilitarian hallways of Imperial design. The Knights that crossed his path would part the way for him, and each time the Captain would nod in thanks. Saying thanks and appearing courteous was a mark of a good superior, and it was something Kallian kept at the forefront of his mind at all times. He was close to entering the mess now, the mass of soldiers now growing thicker as people moved to get something to eat.

Kallian's stomach growled something fierce and he gripped it tightly. But before he managed to pass the threshold between the hallway and the mess hall, his wrist mounted communicator beeped, revealing a message was being transmitted. Kallian paused, moved to the side of the hallways so that he didn't obstruct anyone, and answered the call. "Captain Killian speaking."

"Captain Killian, this is General Callus, I need you on the bridge. We've just received a disturbing reporn." Kallian blinked, surprised that the General himself was speaking to him. He glanced in either direction of the hallway, but most of the Knights were ignoring him.

"Sir, yes, Sir!" Kallian replied. The transmission was cut off from the other end, and Kallian stared forlornly at the mess hall, his stomach doing flip flops as the aroma of meat came to him. If it was one thing he loved about the army, it was the food. Imperial Knights were fed better than most soldiers in Terra's past, and it was something Kallian infinitely appreciated; though of course the fact that Officer's ate better was also a plus.

The Captain made resigned sigh and went off into a brisk jog towards the ship's bridge. He jumped into the elevator that would transport him up the ship and onto the top level, squeezing into it with four maintenance crew workers. When the elevator dinged at the top floor, all of them quickly rushed out just as an oncoming wave of passengers pushed past them as well. The Captain shoved his way through the mass of soldiers and came out on the other side confused to his orientation.

A hand on his shoulder almost made him jump, but his dignity kept him firmly planted to the ground. He turned to the person who grabbed him, and a portion of his lips twitched upwards into something resembling a smile. "Captain Frear," Kallian greeted as he shook his hands with the other Captain. "Is this a general staff meeting? I didn't know we had one scheduled today."

"Neither did I, Captain Kallian," Frear replied, wiping some sweat off his brow. "I was in the exercise chambers, training with my men, when I received the call. I had came running down here expecting a full mobilisation of the troops." The man was breathing heavily, shooting out thick wisps of hot air from his slightly agape mouth as he talked.

Kallian frowned, wondering whether or not that was true. But they were on a regular patrol mission, so the chances of that happening was little to none. He told the Captain this, but was surprised when he got a bitter, amused smile from the other Captain. "Didn't you think it was weird how veterans were put onto a simple patrol mission?" Frear asked, and Kallian frowned. "And did you not see the crew? We have one of the most experienced crew members on this side of Imperial Space." Thinking back on the crew members he had met since arriving, he recognised that the majority of them were either war heroes or people who were praised in their respected fields. In fact some of the engineers on the trip up were renowned as innovators.

"Then, why are we here?" Kallian asked, his face scrunched up in confusion as Frear gave him a cryptic smile. The man patted Kallian's shoulder and pointed to the bridge door, his expression set as though he was privy to some secret.

"I suspect we will find out in there," Frear stated."Now, why don't you go first?" The Captain gestured his hand forward and Kallian frowned as he turned to look at the bridge door. It was just now that he realised that there were four cleanly dressed men and women on either side of the door. He squinted, just for a moment, and felt his face blanch when he recognised the emblem stitched onto their shoulders.

"Inquisitor Perseptus?" Kallian muttered, eyeing the black and red 'I' emblazoned on their uniforms. Frear's smile grew wide, and Kallian straightened his back, staring at the doors with the mindset of a soldier ready to go to war. Inquisitor Perseptus was a greatly respected figure on the Xenomorph front, he and his cadre of Operators working to cleans whole hives of the dangerous xenos. Kallian felt both intimidated and honored that there was a chance he might meet the man on the other side of the door.

The two Captain stepped forward, and the Inquisitor's cadre members shifted in their guard stance in order to allow them to pass. Kallian nodded to them, but none of them responded to him, like statues fixed in position, they returned to their previous positions and stared ahead blankly. Kallian turned his eyes away from them, knowing that as members of the Inquisitors cadre, they too had a reputation to uphold.

If the outside of the bridge was a clamor of boots and working men, then the inside of the bridge was the silence of the dead. All ten Captains of the 31st Imperial Legion were gathered on the bridge, standing by the holotable with grim and determined looks on their faces. Opposite the lineup was General Callus, his well-trimmed features belaying his otherwise feminine physique. But next to Callus was the person that made Kallian's hair stand on end.

Decked out in full armor, standing two heads taller than the tallest person in the room, was Inquisitor Perseptus, one of the most influential war hero's in the Imperial Army to date. He was standing in a loose parade rest posture, his expression calm and aloof, as he stared down at the holoprojector, seemingly showcasing a random planet.

Knowing the Inquisitors, that was highly unlikely. "Captain Kallian, Captain Frear, take your place among the other Officers and we can begin." General Callus waved at the line, and Kallian quickly lined up with the other Officers alongside Frear. The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone was waiting in anticipation over what the Inquisitor would say or do.

The Inquisitor, wrapped in his famous midnight black armor, nodded to himself after passing his eyes over the group of Officers and pressed a button on the holoprojector. The image of the planet was enlarged and Kallian frowned when he began noting the architecture of the cities inside it. "Gentlemen, your eyes do not deceive you. This is indeed another xeno race."

The Officers fidgeted, their eyes dancing between each other in surprise and awe. Kallian didn't fare much better as he gripped the fabric of his pants. Another xeno race hadn't been found in close to six decades. This would be, for the most part, Kallian's first foray into proper civilized warfare with another race. A part of Kallian was filled with excited anticipation, while another was tempered with the experience he had garnered so far fighting the Xenomorphs.

The Inquisitor waited a while for the men to settle down before continuing on. "This planet is one called Naboo. From what we understand, they are a peaceful people with pacifistic mindsets," Perseptus said as he walked around the holoprojector, emphasizing the planet with a few strokes of his hand. "However, they are part of a greater whole, one currently embroiled in a civil war." The holo projection zoomed out and it highlighter a whole strip of the galaxy, all across the eastern inner to outer rim, as being a part of this greater whole.

The Officers stirred, amazed that such a large organization had existed right on the Empire's doorstep, completely undiscovered for who knows how long. Kallian himself felt a bit miffed, if the Empire had just been a little bit faster, a lot of those planets could have been theirs. But there was no use crying over spilled milk.

"The in this civil war is the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems," Perseptus said.

"Republic? Confederacy?" Callus muttered, his lips ripped into a disgusted frown. Kallian and most of the Officers had similar reactions. Republics and Confederacies weren't exactly new things to the Empire, in fact they had stamped out these governments from xeno races. The history books paint them out as messy affairs.

"Indeed," Perseptus said. "Regardless, you all know the code of the Empire. We assimilate, never destroy. This patrol fleet was in all actuality relocated onto this area of space to launch the beachhead assault on the planet known as Naboo. It is our plan, our duty, to take that planet no matter the cost, and open up a direct pathway for the Imperial Fleet into enemy territory."

Kallian clenched his fist and mustered up the courage to step forward. "Pardon my intrusion Lord Inquisitor!" He said, his back ramrod straight and drenched in sweat. General Callus hissed something as he turned to Kallian but Perseptus raised his hand, foregoing any reprimand, and eyed Kallian closely.

"Speak your mind Captain."

Impossibly, Kallian straightened himself even more than he already was and said, "With all due respect Sir, should it not be wiser to allow these two organizations to deplete themselves first before attacking in strength, Sir!"

"In truth I agree with your statement," Perseptus said. He shook his head and terminated the projection. "But that is not my call to make. The Emperor himself has decreed this war to begin, and it is our duty to carry it out. Unless of course you object to His Majesty's will?"

Kallian straightened, a fierce look in his eye. "No, Sir!" Emperor Gilgamesh was a great Emperor, one of the best that the Empire ever had. Not only was he well versed in the politics of the realm, but he was also one of the fiercest warriors. One of the few of the Gilgamesh line that had utilised the Gate of Babylon to its fullest potential, collecting hundreds of weapons to store inside the astral gate of treasure. When the man was on the battlefield he was like a storm, a natural disaster, destroying all opposition in his way. How could Kallian, a soldier, look upon such a man with distrust?

Perseptus nodded his head, satisfied over the look. "You must prepare your men, for the first step to war is ever the hardest. Inspire them and let them know that what they do, they do with the personal blessing of the Empire."

The Officers nodded their heads and quickly filed out. Kallian, being the one closest to the door, led the procession as they exited the bridge. He could feel Frear behind him bounce in anticipation of taking the planet Naboo, and Kallian couldn't help the fierce smile stretch his lips. This was after all what they were bred for.

 **This story is still very much me having fun, so while I'm kinda taking it more seriously then during my first attempt, I'm still dicking around. I'm contemplating turning the title back to Let Me Screw Around in the Clone Wars, but at this point I think TGOG is too different alrdy for that to work.**


	3. Chapter 3

Naboo had very little in the way of defences. Even though it was Palpatine's homeworld and arguably a very important trade port, it was not very heavily defended. Despite it resting in between Separatist and Republic space, Naboo did not have much in the way of strategic significance. It was not located on any major hyperspace lanes, and while an important trade port, it wasn't as tantalizing an object as one might expect it to be. Despite a few close calls, it only received a small task force of a half dozen Republic ships in order to defend it.

They would pay most dearly for this oversight, as when the Imperial Fleet came out of Slipspace into the Naboo system, the Republic fleet was caught both unaware and unready for the ferocity of the attack. The Admiral in charge of this attack, Admiral Devon Gondo, was surprised by the alien warships and couldn't reciprocate enough of an offense to hold Naboo space.

On board the INV Sagittarius, Inquisitor Perseptus was watching the enemy fleet movements with a keen eye, all the while he stood ramrod straight in the bridge, never once flinching or losing his balance when turbolasers splashed against the ship's shields, causing the inside of the ship to rumble and buckle. The battle had been ongoing for the past fifty minutes and it was clear to him that the Imperials were the ones winning.

Fighting a protracted space battle wasn't what Perseptus was aiming for. What he wanted was a clean hit down onto the planet below him. He wanted to take the planet long before any Republic forces could gather in time to deal with them. Thus Perseptus forewent any intricate battle plans and merely made one command, "Blast them all to hell." The fleet happily obliged.

 _Was is our Mettle, Death is our reward,_ was not the motto of the Imperial Knights for nothing. Thus, the fleet strode forward without pause, their shields blazing as they let stream upon stream of red laser bolts onto the Republic fleet. There were no casualties on either side by the them the Republic fleet retreated, but it was clear that that between the two, the Imperial fleet could keep dishing out more damage than them.

When the Republic jumped out of system, Perseptus only had a moment to marvel at their different faster than light technology, before turning back to the greater part of the battle. _His_ part of the battle. Perseptus pulled at the grip if his power sword, and stated loudly into the intercom. "All Imperial Knights begin preparations for planetary assault!" Perseptus shook his shoulder and turned to General Callus.

"With respect Lord Inquisitor, would it not be better to perform a base bombardment on any important military station before the main assault?" Callus asked, his tone respectfully reproachful.

Perseptus shook his head as his cadre began to form up around him. "The Naboo have no defences. They are pacifistic General Callus, and for that they shall suffer greatly by our might." General Callus bowed his head, accepting the inquisitor's explanation and turned to the bridge.

"I shall relinquish command of the my Army to your esteemed self, Lord Inquisitor, please do take care of them," General Callus said. Perseptus nodded his head, a good General cared for his men, that was the wisdom every Officer in the Corp was taught and one that Perseptus would never think to deny.

"Of course," he replied. The Inquisitor then quickly left and headed for the hangar bays. The ship was in a whirlwind of motions as Imperial Knights geared and prepared for the coming invasion, and Perseptus nodded his head minutely at all the men who stopped to salute him. The Inquisitor had long since grown used to his station, and his responses had become more automatic than anything else.

If anything, he felt very little joy in fighting, only that he was grateful the Emperor decided to bestow the honor of first blood onto him. Even in the Crusades against the Xenomorphs, Perseptus had never had such an honor.

"Prepare yourselves for a tactical insertion," Perseptus stated. "From what I gather there is only a small contingent of five thousand clones present to defend the Naboo Capital of Theed." All of his cadre had been briefed on their enemies capabilities, and he was confident that his soldiers would be able to deal with them.

"It will be done, My Lord," Athens, a telekinetic Conduit, said as she bowed her head. Perseptus' cadre was made up of Conduits, enhanced soldiers, and one Assassin. They were the perfect kind of cadre for a War orientated Inquisitor like himself. Such was his thoughts when he entered the passenger bay of his personal transport, a Valkyrie Attack-Transport VTOL.

Nimon and Delfi sat themselves in the pilot seats while Perseptus grabbed a handle located on the ceiling. The other members of the cadre did the same, and they waited quietly, dressed in their all black garb, as the fifteen Imperial transports began their startup procedures to land on Naboo.

"Red-1 is green on all boards, awaiting final confirmation on IC-227," Nimon stated as he flicked a switch on a panel next to him. Delfi pulled back on a lever, revving the Valkyrie's engines to life. From where Perseptus was situated in between the pilot chairs, he could see several Imperial Knarr transports coming to life with power.

"IC-227 command has reached orbit of Naboo, all Red Elements are given clearance to launch. Be advised, we have enemy starfighters in atmosphere, you may be needing fighter escort," the Command Bridge said. Nimon looked back at Perseptus, a questioning look on his face as he waited for an answer.

"The Knarr transports should provide adequate protection against the Naboo Starfighters weaponry. The fighters would be put to better use fighting off the bombers and their Ilk from damaging the fleet," Perseptus stated. The whole crux of their plan relied on speed. Naboo was a mid rim world and the Empire of Peace and Chaos was situated in just a way that its borders, astoundingly, was wedged just enough within a crevice of Republic Space to have been able to bypass the Outer Rim completely. But that was a double edged sword, doubtlessly Republic reinforcements were being sent in right then, thus, a speedy invasion was needed.

Nimon nodded his head and relayed as such to command. "This is Red-1 to all Red Elements, you are go to assault the enemy positions. Concentrate all compliments on Theed, I repeat, all transports are to land on the outskirts of Theed."

"Start at the head of the snake, and the body will fall," Perseptus whispered to himself.

"The Emperor agrees," his cadre said as one in agreement. The Valkyrie zoomed out of the hangar of the Sagittarius, followed closely by several Karns and Typhoon Class Starfighters. The dark expanse of space was visible to Perseptus for but a moment, before the view of the planet Naboo came into sight. A large contingent of yellow Naboo Starfighters converged on their locating, and bright emerald laser bolts battered the Valkyries hull as it descended into atmosphere.

"Evasive maneuvers," Nimon stated calmly. Delfi nodded her head and the Valkyrie dove into a tumble, dodging several emerald lances, and blasting several Starfighters using its twin gatling-laser turrets.

The radio came alive with chatter, and Perseptus noted some Karn transports reporting light damage to their hull as they descended onto the planet below, but so far no casualties. The Valkyrie shook, the low whine of the shields a familiar sound to Perseptus' ears. "Did the shields fail?"

"They hit the impellers!" Nimon stated, his frame rocking on his pilot seat. "Shields held, but something must have knocked loose from the hit." Nimon pulled back on a lever located in between the pilot and co-pilot seat, and the speed of the Valkyrie lurched. Perseptus was nearly thrown up against the windshields, but he gripped the handrail tightly, stopping himself from what would have been a neck breaking fall.

A fiery red explosion suddenly came to life in Perseptus' peripheral, and he turned in time to see one of the Karn's sputter and shake as its right engine failed. There was the remains of a Naboo Starfighters lodged to its side, doubtlessly from a midair collision. Whether intentional or accidental Perseptus didn't know, but he had to nod in respect at the valiant effort.

"Which Karn is that?" Perseptus asked.

"Red-5, the one with the 31st Legion's Beta Company," Nimon said as he stabilised the Valkyrie's descent. "Godspeed to them, they're landing straight into the forests." Perseptus agreed with the sentiment but he could not send his own prayers as the Valkyrie was already nearing the ground outside Theed. "We are landing in 3, 2, 1, landed!" The Valkyrie shuddered to a stop, and Perseptus let go of his handrail, quickly dashing past his cadre to the exit.

The first initial thrill into an invasion was important. It determined the momentum and the speed of the rest of the campaign. Perseptus had no intention to give up the initiative to the Naboo, and was going to make the push into the city come hell or high water. So when he hit Naboo's soft ground, the first thing he did was run around the Valkyrie and rush to the forefront of the first phase of the invasion force.

There were several Karn's already on the ground, and Perseptus passed a glance down the seven hundred strong Imperial Knights already on the ground. Usually an Imperial landing force would first set up a beachhead to assail the Capitol with a concentrated front of soldiers, but as mentioned above, they didn't have time for that. Perseptus was certain that the Republic forces on the planet were scrambling to meet their assault, and as such, the Imperial Army needed to be on the move; and it needed to be done now.

"Into the city!" Perseptus commanded, his power sword held up into the sky. His Imperial Knights roared loudly and rushed the city of Theed, their hard footfalls thundering down the plains with loud noise. Above head, Perseptus could see dozens more Karn's landing troops all around Theed. Perseptus hoped the ones in charge of those fronts would take after his aggressive approach, and shouldered his power sword as he concentrated on the assault.

The Imperial Assault could not fail, as if they did, they could not turn back, lest they were willing to jump off the side of the cliff face that surrounded Theed. The defences of pacifistic Naboo were mainly in auto-turrets and several shield emplacements, but that was it. Beyond the Clones, there were only the Naboo Security Forces, and Perseptus highly doubted they would be of much trouble.

As if to answer his question, a loose gaggle of Naboo Security Forces came into view of his army, transported by speeders, and took up defensive positions around the open terraces that blocked the Imperial troops advance into the city. The Naboo Security Forces fired inaccurate shots at them, laughably bad in their aim, and Perseptus watched as several of his frontline troops snapped accurate fire onto the terraces, cutting down a dozen Security Forces with minimal effort.

"Athens!" Perseptus ordered, and his telekinetic Conduit nodded her head as she focused her power on Perseptus' armor. With a grunt of exertion she lifted Perseptus off the ground and turned him into a human rocket, piercing through the air to crash in the middle of the Naboo Security Forces. They turned, shocked and surprised by his sudden appearance, and Perseptus mercilessly bisected a dozen NSF Officers with a single swing of his blade.

The other NSF Officers reorientated, aiming their blasters at him as he slowly advanced towards them. Thanks to his power armor, Perseptus was able to advance without any trouble whatsoever, and the sight of a black armored being far taller than any human had any right being marching towards them had broken the will of the NSFs and they quickly routed.

But while the Imperial conduct stated that they assimilated and not destroyed, such rules didn't apply during wartime. In fact it was encouraged to destroy any opposition, retreating or otherwise, to quickly demoralise and quell any thoughts of rebellion. The wolf was often quick to bite the hand of the master after all.

Perseptus quickly pursued them and cut them down before they could retreat further away and waited for the rest of his men to arrive. His cadre easily ascended the walls to reach him, while the Imperial Knights employed ascension cables to bypass the terrace and land on the roof. "Knights we advance to the Palace!" Perseptus shouted into his radio, set into LOCCOM to only reached the troops nearest to him.

Affirmatives met his command and Perseptus took off into a sprint down Theed's streets. Thanks to his augmentations, Perseptus was much faster than the average soldier, but his cadre easily caught up with him. The Imperial Knights used the rooftops to cut around the maze-like structure of Theed, keeping up Perseptus with sheer will alone.

It was only eventually that they came across any adequate opposition in the form of the Clone forces. It was a small contingent of at least three hundred men, but due to the urban environment of Theed, the Clones were able to muster themselves into defensible positions, and they were far deadlier than the Naboo Security Forces.

The Clones scored several hits on his Imperial Knights as some of them descended to ground level. The rooftop forces made to open fire but had to duck as their position was assailed with rockets, causing many Imperial Knights to get blown to pieces or thrown off the rooftop to crash painfully onto the Naboo streets. Perseptus paused, his Power Sword swinging wildly as his Power Armor bore the brunt of a hail of blaster bolts.

Already he could feel part of his armor begin to melt away under the concentrated fire and he ducked behind cover. There was still plenty more ground to cover in between here and the Clone defence line and Perseptus wasn't keen on waiting.

"Delfi," Perseptus ordered. The woman with flame colored hair nodded her head and jumped over their cover, which a marble column. Several lines of Imperial Knights had managed to form on the ground floor but they were fighting a fierce battle with the enemy, their accurate fire marred with constant streams of blue lances blocking their vision.

Delfi blinked and began making several martial arts moves, before long she kicked the ground and a piece of earth flew up in the air before she punched the stone, sending it careening past the distance to practical dislodge a Clone Troopers head.

"What the?!" The surprised shout of the Clone next to his beheaded brother echoed down the plan and Delfi made a midair sweeping kick that sent a column of earth out of the ground to ram into the sides of the Clones. Many of the clones were either crushed from the earth or were sent flying into the wall.

Nimon then sprang behind Delfi, a sniper rifle in his hands, and he fired it in semi-automatic as he advanced. Delfi covered him by erecting several stone shields around him, blocking the Clone return fire while not impeding his run. She also managed to metal bend several rockets out of the way of Imperial forces. From behind her, Athens came around and began telekinetically throwing several round razor sharp saws towards the Clone troopers. She manipulated them in a way that had them dancing around the Clones like a tornado, cutting up dozens of the them at a time.

The chaos these two women ensued was enough for the Imperial Knights to advance and cut down the frontline of the Clone defenders. But Nimon, already at the Clone's positions, used one of the Earth shields that Delfi created for him in order to catapult himself high above the Clones, and used his augmented electronic eyes to scan the soldiers beneath him. With incredible accuracy and speed, Nimon fired a dozen blaster bolts in seconds, killing several Clone Officers and NCOs as well taking out their rocket troopers.

As he descended to the ground, the last member of Perseptus' cadre showed herself, and she sliced straight through two Clone troopers aiming at Nimon. The Assassin twirled in her place, her twin Katana swords flashing in the air as she twirled the blood off them. The Clones reorientated, aiming their blasters at the woman who casually twisted in place, forming a domed blue energy sphere around herself that deflected the blast bolts back at them, using her plasma bladed Katana's to do so.

In just under a minute, all the Clones were either cut down by Asane and Athens, crushed by Delfi's earth, or shot by Nimon. The Imperial Knights were stunned in awe of the prowess held by Perseptus' cadre, and the Inquisitor felt the tint of pride build in him. He took a lot of effort to find and recruit these four members into his cadre, and he never once regretted it.

Bending was a very rare ability in the Empire. It was not like the abilities of Conduits, a mutation, but more of a physical connection to the Immaterium allowing people to physically alter the reality around them. Delfi was a rare specimen in the Empire and Perseptus was most proud of her growth out of all his cadre.

Athens was a Conduit famous as the Blade Priestess, a mercenary that operated in the outskirts of Imperial space. Her telekinetic abilities were focused mostly around metals, but unlike what Delfi could manage bending metals, Athens could literally control hundreds of blades, turning them into a tornado of blood and death. An earlier nickname she had was the Queen of Blades, but considering their Emperor Gilgamesh and his Gate of Babylon that nickname died out in favor for Priestess, as she had been rumored to have once been an Assassin Priestess to the Second Rite. Out of his cadre, Athens was Perseptus' most veteran and most well trained.

Nimon was an augmented soldier. His skills lied primarily as a marksman. His eyeballs had been replaced with mechanical ones that could take in his surroundings at an increased rate, give him several different modes of visions, and provide him constant tactical information. His nerves and brain had also been modified to be able to handle this influx of information, with him being able to perceive his surroundings faster than any normal person, allowing him to think his way out of a situation or precisely choose his targets. Muscle tissue was enhanced, allowing greater flexibility and strength, and Nimon was a veteran of several missions against the Xenomorph. Nimon was the original member of Perseptus' cadre, and the one he understood best.

Lastly was Asane, the Katana wielder. She was interesting in that she was originally an Assassin sent to kill Perseptus, based on a plot from a Sangheili lordling looking to get his own estate. After killing the Sangheili and fighting Asane to a standstill, Perseptus had formally inducted her into his cadre. She was the newest addition, and arguably the quietest member. She was deadly in close quarters and her technique, Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven, was deadly, Perseptus could attest to that.

This was his cadre. Truly there were more effective and powerful cadres other than his, but he was proud of them. They were his cadre, after all. Perseptus rallied the remnants of his men, cut down marginally by the Clone defenders, and pointed his power sword at the Naboo palace. "We all know where to go!" He yelled. His Knights yelled with him and shouldered their rifles, their gazes keenly placed onto the Naboo Royal Palace.

The sounds of fighting and explosions echoed around Theed, informing Perseptus of his advancing elements, and he firmed up his shoulders as he gripped his power sword with both his hands. "Then march with me! March with me and let us take this planet, in the name of the Emperor and the Empire that he commands!"

The Imperial Knights roared and his cadre reformed themselves around Perseptus. With a determined look, Perseptus set off full tilt towards the Royal Naboo palace.

0o0o **This Galaxy is My Game** o0o0

Kallian stumbled out of the wreck of his Karn transport ship, his Imperial Knights following after him as they tended to their wounds. Kallian tapped his wrist communicator but all he received was static, so he gave up on that front as a useless endeavor.

"Beta Company! Form up!" Kallian ordered. His Knights quickly moved out of the wreckage of their Karn, the corpses of the two pilots being dragged along behind them to be laid next to their fallen vessel. The dense forest around them wasn't exactly new terrain for these experienced and veteran Knights, but the sudden hit of humidity caused their armor to become uncomfortable as their bodies secreted sweat.

Kallian swatted at a random bug that landed on his neck, and growled low in his throat. "Let's get out of this forest," Kallian muttered. The Knights nearest to him muttered their agreements, and Beta Company began advancing through the words in a serpentine motion.

As the Imperial moved, they launched several small drones to scout the area around them, while scouts with specialised functions in their helmets swept their gazes over the forest ground looking for any sign of movement or tracks leading to civilization. The Knights kept walking until the forest canopy managed to clear itself enough for them to reconnect with Imperial Command.

"The Queen has evacuated the Palace. I repeat the Queen has retreated," Inquisitor Perseptus' voice echoed into his ear. Kallian paused, the grip on his rifle tightening as he signalled for his Company to halt.

"This is Beta Company, we're outside Theed pushing northwest, where is the Queen heading?" Kallian glanced at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Naboo Queen's ship as it soared down into the heavy forests of Naboo. So far, he had no such luck.

"She's heading east, towards the marshes," Perseptus replied. Kallian frowned and brought up a map on his Heads Up Display to see the terrain. From his location, he could spot marsh-like area only a few kilometres from his position. What luck.

"Roger, Beta Company is on the move," Kallian said while making a circular gesture with his hands. He flattened out his palm and made a sweeping movement with his arms to the general direction of the marsh. His Imperial Knights nodded their heads and began scattering out in the flanks, taking a crooked line formation to advance into enemy territory with. With his men in place, the entire formation began leapfrogging forward. Usually this tactic would be used in small squad based formations, not Company sized units, but it was a testament to their training and professionalism that they were able to manage this seamlessly even in unfamiliar terrain.

They covered ground quickly, his Knights speeding up with every kilometre, until a sudden shout of contact forced the formation to still. Kallian scanned the treeline, looking for any movement, and his HUD came to life with red figures appearing from behind the trees, spears and other primitive looking weapons in their hands.

"Do we shoot?" Somebody asked on LOCALCOM. As if to answer his question, one of the primitive looking creatures spun a slingshot-like weapon above his head before releasing an explosive payload. The purple explosive crashed in the middle of a frontline squad, and Kallian ducked his head as the explosion sent earth, rock, and pieces of human beings flying up into the air.

"Fire! Fire!" The entire line of Imperials opened fire. The entire expanse of space in front of them became a stage to thousands of azure lances that raked over the forest floor. A squad of his Knights pushed forward past the line, followed closely by another, and when they reached the halfway point between the lines they tossed a gaggle of grenades over their heads.

A dozen explosions rocked the ground beneath them, and Kallian could see several of the primitive lifeforms flying out of the treeline in various states of dismemberment. Kallian shoulder his rifle and fired a burst from his rifle, catching a primitive by its shoulder blade.

"This is Beta Company, we've come into contact of a primitive fighting force!" Kallian fucked as what looked to be a spear flew over his head. The fire around him slackened, his Knights also jumping out of the way of accurate spear throws, only to suddenly be blown backwards by more of the explosives being thrown at them.

"This is second section! Right flank is taking casualties, I repeat, we are takin'- it's a cavalry charge! Form up ranks!" Bewildered, and slightly horrified, Kallian laid witness to a whole charge of these frog-like primitives on his right flank. They were riding on some strange, two-legged... _thing_ that bounded past the distance with remarkable speed.

The primitives reached the right flank, their spears grasped tightly in their arms, but Kallian beamed with pride with the speed with which his men had formed up ranks, and they raked the line of cavalry with blaster fire. But even the speed with which they moved couldn't completely dispel the cavalry charge, and Kallian grimaced as he saw several of Knights get trampled by the primitive's steed.

"Those are Gungans Captain Kallian. Be advised they are a warrior race, though slightly primitive," Perseptus cautioned him. Kallian turned his eyes onto the Gungan's eyeing them like they were an insult to his name.

"The Queen must be hiding with the Gungan's. Hold the line! Wait for reinforcements!" Kallian ordered. His Knights roared their affirmation and began fighting back with equal intensity. Their weapons fired until they overheated, the Knights ducked and weaved, dodging explosions and spears.

For all the primitiveness of the Gungan's they were a warrior race to begin with, and they were proud. They were tested in modern warfare when the CIS invaded Naboo, and they would be tested here and now. Purple shields, smaller in size than the ones used during the invasion, sprang to life in the line of Gungan soldiers. Small squads of Gungan spearmen and shieldbearers would take cover in these domes as Gungans with boomas launched salvo after salvo into the Imperial lines.

When the blaster fire dulled the melee troops would rush out of the cover of their dome and charge the Imperials. Imperial Knights, slow in reloading their rifles or waiting for it to cool down, were caught in fierce melee fights with strong Gungan warriors who pushed back their lines. The Gungan Grand Army, committed to defending their home and their new charge Queen Neeyutnee of Naboo, began launching more explosives.

Kallian growled as he fought off a Gungan, slamming the butt of his rifle into the Gungan's chest. The Gungan warrior, standing a whole head taller than Kallian, squawked at the hit and threw a hasty right hook at Kallian. The Captain's helmet flew off his head, the tip of the helmet rending a gash on the side of his face as it caught with his flesh.

Kallian staggered, blocking another two punches for his face, and slid his trench knife out from his vest. He flipped it and stabbed forward, the Gungan slipping around the thrust of the blade to hook its arm around Kallian's elbow. Kallian dropped his knife in pain, and launched his right knee forward, catching the Gungan in its gut, and wrenched his arm free. He pulled out his sidearm and fired at the Gungan. Four blue lances speared the Gungan and the amphibian hit the ground, dead.

Kalyan swept his eyes to his sides, and noted the chaos that was ensuing between his men and the Gungan. Beta Company fought back hard, their experience with fighting Xenomorphs hardening them against these Gungan enemies, and the Gungans gave no quarter in their own right.

Kallian grimaced and readied his rifle as a second charge was already on its way towards the center.

0o0o **The Galaxy is My Game** o0o0

Theed was officially under the control of the Imperial forces, their Knights mopping up what was left of the Clone forces. Captain Kallian still held the line in the Eastern Marshes, his company if two hundred men having been whittled to a hundred and fifteen after constant battle. But that was semantics. What mattered was that, with the Naboo royal in hiding, and the Naboo space lane being occupied by the Imperial fleet, Naboo was decidedly the Imperials.

Now that Naboo was theirs the Imperials did what they always did. They sent out a message to the nearest planets and to both the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. This broadcast spoke of the terms of the Imperials War against both the CIS and the Republic, and it was backed up the might of the Imperial Military.

Naboo was theirs and they would expand their reach into both Republic and CIS space, all in an effort to rid off problematic cultures and replace them with the Imperial Rule of None, or rather, the Imperial Collective mindset.

In just less than a day, the Clone Wars had a startling realisation come to their forefront, revealing itself in a three pronged war rather than a Separatist Civil War that they had been expecting. Now was not only a secession war, but also an invasion. The political climate of the Clone Wars, and of the next few years, would forever change following the rise of this new entity in Known Space.

 **Right now I'm gunning for that Ryloth campaign so I could put to use those trench warfare scenes I wrote out. But before that we'll have to make a slow crawl through the interjoining planets.**


	4. Chapter 4

The Imperial Grand Court, the place where all the courtiers of the Imperial realm gathered to discuss recent political decisions, had been called into session to oversee the regards of their most recent declaration of war with the Republic and the CIS. For the most part, there was a unanimous approval among the court in folding the Republic and the CIS into Imperial control, especially considering the vastness of their territories and the relatively weakness of both of these governments newly created armies, at least in comparison to the centuries worth of experience and ability that the Imperial Army had. Despite this there was a murmur of discontent among the assembled Lords and Ladies, in that they were rather disgruntled over the war having been initiated without their notice, and that more intelligence hadn't been gathered of their new enemies.

Gilgamesh was partly to blame for this, as he had already known the strengths and weakness of the Republic and CIS forces, but had failed to remember that his citizens required more prodding and foresight than what his knowledge granted; or at least the knowledge that his current body should know. The Golden Emperor raised his hand, calling for the assembled silence.

"As your liege, I admit to the haste I placed in greater importance over the insight of the assembled esteemed council," Gilgamesh stated, his voice naturally booming down the walls of the assembly chamber. He turned his eyes down onto the many levels of Imperial Nobles and sighed breathily. "But never forget that I am the Emperor of the Empire, my will is the will of the Empire and the Emperors before me. Naboo was a prime opportunity for the Imperial Army, and it would be an insult to my blood if I were to not capitalize on such a chance."

The hall rumbled in silence, the unspoken words, doubt, and acceptance rippling through the assembled Nobles like a tidal wave. Gilgamesh cracked his neck, turning to cast a longing look at his wife, seated a few feet to his right, as though looking for some support or comfort. His wife did not glance at him, but she did wave her hands in a comforting gesture towards him. He took it for what it was and straightened his back to glare down on the Imperial Court.

One of the many floating platforms of the Imperial Court began to dart forward, the occupants of the cart bearing sigils of two crossed Keys flanked by wings. The man at the front of the platform looked old and weathered but his stance was strong and like that of iron. The Grand Master Inquisitor, an intimidating man, if not for the fact that Gilgamesh found his occupation of the profession to be hilarious.

"Grand Master Xehanort," Gilgamesh inclined his head in greeting to the old man. The Master Keyblade user nodded his head in reverence to Gilgamesh's position, as he should, and rose to his full height, his black coat swaying with his movements.

"My Lord, the Great Emperor Gilgamesh the First of His Name and the Absolute Supreme Ruler of all the Empire," Xehanort said, his voice, carrying with it the weight of experience and the power of his station, boomed across the chasm in more power compared to Gilgamesh's dignified speech. The Golden Emperor clicked his tongue quietly to himself and looked down on the man with furrowed eyebrows. "I, as your humble servant, does not dare to oppose any decision made by your most esteemed self. But as I am the Master of all Inquisitors, the leader of the Black Coats and the mind of the Unversed, carrying with him the goodwill of Good Emperor Arcadius before you, I must caution the dangers of orders without proper consideration to those around you."

Gilgamesh frowned, his fingers digging themselves into the armrests of his chair as he bared his impressive gaze onto the aged Grand Master. "I am no Good Emperor, Grand Master Xehanort. I am the man who sits here, the Gate of Babylon at his beck and call, and I make the decisions that moves an Empire." Gilgamesh set his spine onto the back of his chair and breathed out noisily. "I understand the wisdom all here share with me, and in that I know never has there been such a crop of talented individuals to serve an Emperor until now. I do what I do knowing full well that the people below can act and serve me befitting their stations, allowing me to perform my duties as how I please. My considerations are in the future of the Empire, of which I know everyone here shares with me."

There was murmuring around the court, some in agreement, others still in doubt. The Grand Master conceded his point with a bowed head and quietly returned to his place. Gilgamesh watched him warily, his eyes not even turning to regard the next occupant to the stand.

"Your Imperial Majesty," a white Balverine, named Dulag, bowed his head in greeting to Gilgamesh. The Emperor frowned and watched the werewolf knockoff for a moment, before nodding in assent. "It is not this one's place to speak ill of the Great Emperor's decisions, but this one seeks not of that. This one, of the esteemed Balverine Order, would like to ask our place in the war to come be measured, as those of my kin are greatly...enamored to see what type of Balverine can be created from these _clones_ and most especially these _Jedi_." The Balverine struggled to get those last few words out from its snout but it did so all the same, with such effort that Gilgamesh wondered if he should congratulate him.

The question had merit though, and Gilgamesh wasn't looking to deny his Balverine potential recruits. "You have my blessing, Lord Balverine. See to it you act on your... _experiments_ post haste. As it is the time of war, you may enact the forceful transformation of captured enemies pending evaluation of our Inquisitors. I need not remind you that the creation of White Balverines will also be quite strict, and can only be conducted under the academic eye of Imperial Recorders, Imperial Scientists, and the Imperial Inquisitors?"

The Balverine cowed his head at the remark. "Of course. This one would not dare impose on the goodwill of our esteemed Majesty." Gilgamesh hoped that was the last of the courtiers coming to lay their oppositions with him, but to his quiet chagrin, another one stepped forward to the stand. It was his wife.

"My husband," Queen Myrrah stated, bowing her head. Gilgamesh felt the breath already leave him, knowing the fight ahead. By her calling him husband rather than Emperor was her own way of showing that their positions were equal, even though by technicality, she was a mere Queen in control over a Kingdom, while Gilgamesh led an Empire. It was poor decorum for her to say such things, but allowed as she was his wife. "I must implore you to not call upon the Locust Horde into this war, for I do believe it is in the best interest for us to remain outside the conflict and left to our own devices until such a time suitable for us to commit our forces."

A ruckus erupted in the courtroom. The Locusts were not a popular people in the Empire, in fact many still saw them as naysayers and outliers of the Imperial authority. Gilgamesh rose to his full height, his silent glare enough to cower any more disturbance, and he looked down at his wife, his gauntleted hands left relaxed by his sides. "May I be graced with the wisdom of your decision, my wife."

Myrrah bowed her head in acceptance. "Us Locust's currently face a deficit in resources at the moment. I do believe it is time for the Horde to begin expansion, and as such we wish to focus our efforts in populating local worlds we had overlooked, in search of any worlds holding resources for us to use." Gilgamesh frowned. The Locust were given only a small number of planets to call their own, and he knew that all other planets in their system were barren, on account of the Imperial-Locust war all those centuries ago. Judging from the look his wife was giving him when no one was looking, rumbling with displeasure at Myrrah's words as they were, Gilgamesh understood what she meant.

"With the size of our new enemy relative to our own, I do believe it is wise for us to exhaust every resource and effort in defeating them. Therefore I am allowing any Locust Army that successfully invade, capture, and hold Republic or CIS worlds be given the opportunity to claim the worlds as their own, providing the Locust Horde worlds with resources at their disposal. Of course, that would mean the Horde would need to support the war with troops and armaments," Gilgamesh decreed, looking down at his wife with a quiet thoughtful look.

The edges of Myrrah's lips edged into a curve and she nodded her assent. "I thank you for your most gracious offer, Emperor Gilgamesh. The Locust Horde shall provide as much assistance possible, for the hope that we may expand our homes to better pastures." Gilgamesh nodded his head, and wanting no more people to take the stand quickly called for the adjournment of the court. The assembled Nobles all stood to witness Gilgamesh's departure, and after waiting for his wife to return to his platform, he swiftly made an about face and imperiously stalked off towards the exit.

Myrrah trailed behind him, her head bowed and eyes closed in regal solemnity, and the Royal Guards moved to flank their pair. The group of soldiers were silent and moved without noise, their heavy boots hitting the floor with not even a sound. Gilgamesh enjoyed the brief silence, even as he knew the murmur of discontent or argument was possibly raging in the mouths of all his Nobles. The fault of an Empire, if ever there was a truer one.

It didn't take long before they arrived to a secluded off room designated the royal chambers. Gilgamesh nodded his head to the two Royal Guards standing at attention on either side of the doors, and quietly entered the room, his wife following after him. Their entourage fanned out and took their places outside, not looking back or uttering a sound.

Inside the room Gilgamesh felt the sigh hit him. "That was very devious of you, my wife. Dangerous as well." His wife smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with odd delight. Gilgamesh thought no other Emperor before had such a wily wife so brazen with them.

"I am the sovereign to my people as you are to your own. I have my responsibilities, and I did not think you were one to judge me in that," she stated. Gilgamesh laughed quietly to himself, the sound almost a whisper in their room as he seated himself on a cushioned red chair.

"I do not doubt you know me better than any other woman, I only ask that you refrain from antagonising my Nobles," Gilgamesh told her. His memories recalled many events where Myrrah had done the something, more than likely a relic of thought from her father Arcadius the Trickster, a very eccentric and thoughtful Emperor.

"I would think that be a boon for you, so that now you may weed out the problematic Nobles from your court, surrendering them their positions and replacing them with more malleable ones," Myrrah replied dismissively. She sat herself down by Gilgamesh's side, her posture as always without imperfections. She looked all the world the antithesis to Gilgamesh. As he was garbed in robes of golden silks and blue sashes, flashy and extravagant, she was garbed in pale dull colors, her crown of dull gold wrapped around her snow white hair without fashion.

"All creatures have their own use, I'd rather the problems stay where I can see them and exploit them before they try anything harmful." Gilgamesh folded his arms across his chest, smiling wistfully as he regarded his wife. Gilgamesh allowed himself a moment of laxity and wrapped his arms around Myrrah's shoulder, taking on the part of a husband to Myrrah. The Queen didn't show any outward hints that she was displeased over the movement, and reciprocated with a hand on his thigh.

Perhaps it was the luck of the irish, or perhaps it was the universe trying to send him a message, but Gilgamesh never experienced a tumultuous family life in any of his meanderings through the multiverse. Just as well, Gilgamesh thought he understood Myrrah enough to know that she at least did not hate him fully.

There was a knocking on the door, taking the two of them out of their reverie. He straightened, alarmed at the interruption as he knitted his brow. "Your Majesty, it is your daughter, Princess Astronema and Princess Cyclonis, here to greet you." Surprised, he turned to his wife with a questioning look on his face.

"I called them over," she told him as she squeezed his thigh. "I thought it was good that they talk to you, before they go out to war."

"They're going to war?" He said, alarmed. The muscles on his jaw jumped, and he turned his gaze towards the door, a serious solemn look on his face as he nodded his assent to their entrance. "They're teenagers," Gilgamesh muttered quietly under his breath.

"They're trained warriors," Myrrah stated, an iron look in her eyes. "They're prepared for any troubles in the war."

Gilgamesh looked at her, his face brimmed with complicated emotions. Even though this family was fake, there was no denying that the memories inside Gilgamesh were particularly strong inside him. This world may have been promoted by his hands, but it's structure was completely organic to this world. Something like that brought powerful ties between people, especially to beings of the Immaterium, of energy and the Multiverse, like Dolan, especially with how he had bound himself to a mortal body. Maybe it was just him, but he wasn't one to risk his family over anything, real or fake. "You can train all your life, but that doesn't ever mean you can survive a war."

"That's not fair to them," Myrrah stated. Gilgamesh softened his face, sighing loudly as he looked at the door creeping open.

"I know, that is why we will talk," Gilgamesh stated. Astronema and Cyclonis entered the room, the both of them decked out in their armor and weaponry. Gilgamesh locked his eyes with both his daughters, and sighed loudly as he gestured to a chair in front of him. It seems that the Gilgamesh of this world truly was known to be soft on his children, because the both of them looked like they were walking into a warzone since stepping into that room, ready and armed to fight back against Gilgamesh any opposition he could make.

 _I've already lost my hand_ , Gilgamesh thought ruefully. "Astronema," Gilgamesh stated, "I heard your new Quantrons have displayed exemplary skill on the field. Surely they are an impressive feat of engineering."

"Thank you father," Astronema stated, the edges of her lips quirked up as she folded her fingers into a fist. Her sister, Cyclonis, hardened her look at the fact her sister was receiving praise better than she was. Gilgamesh, knowing his second daughter's personality, quickly moved to do the same with her.

"Your mother tells me your skills in controlling the Horde improves everyday. One day I would like to see you rule them as your mother had, strong and powerful, as any of my children are meant to be."

Cyclonis bowed her head, her face impassive as she told him his thanks. Though, as her father, Gilgamesh was privy to the little signs in her, the set of her shoulders, the way how she spread out her fingers, and in the strength in her voice that she was delighted and proud over his remarks.

"No doubt the both of you were present during the court assembly not so long ago?" Myrrah asked, looking at her children one by one. The two girls nodded their heads, their faces more relaxed facing their mother. _Wasn't I the fun parent, though?_ Gilgamesh thought, wondering about the discrepancies in expressions.

"The Grand Master is a fool to question father's wishes," Cyclonis said fiercely, her face set into a harsh scowl. as she balled her fists. Astronema, who was technically Xehanort's subordinate, was quick to defend her superior from her sister's criticism.

"It is the duty of the Inquisitors to act on the will of the Empire, and to advise the Emperor in any matters they think should be advised. Grand Master Xehanort is right to broach the subject with father, as better him than a rebellious Noble further down the line," Astronema stated. Cyclonis shot Astronema a dirty look, but could not fault her sister's logic, even if she still thought the Grand Master to be a fool.

"Enough," Gilgamesh brokered between them. "I do not want to see my daughters fight in front of me. If there is to be anything on this subject, is that I as Emperor am merely an organ in the inner workings of the Empire, and the Grand Master is likewise the same as me. I may rule him, but his voice is as strong as me in the cogs that make our vast Empire. Cyclonis, Astronema, both of your words are wisdom and true, but they are only pieces to a whole. Know them both well, keep them both in your mind, and through knowing them you will find the whole truth."

Both his daughters cowed themselves to his lecture, nodding their heads emphatically over his words. Gilgamesh frowned, watching his daughters carefully as he wondered whether they had taken his words to heart. He felt the pains of the father reach his shoulders again, and while nostalgic for the transdimensional being, it was still not a welcome feeling. He shot a look of help to his wife,

"Raise your heads my daughters. Your father means only to impart his wisdom, not to scold you. Now, you are here to discuss your place in the war, more precisely, your safety and health," Myrrah said.

Astronema pursed her lips. "I am an Inquisitor, to be one is to skirt the edge of life and death. I would not see my duty be forgotten in favor of my own security." She crossed her arms, looking at the both of them archly as she stood firm on her independence and duty.

"As your Emperor I find your conviction pleasing," GIlgamesh told her. "As your father, it fills me with worry knowing that you would skirt the world of death while I still draw breath." Astronema faltered in her look. She still had the gaze of a woman looking to fight a war without regret, but now she also had the look of distraught at facing her father with such a decision.

"I have my duty, father and as you've thought me, we must all always do our duty for the betterment of the Empire," Astronema stated. "As a servant to the Empire, I must face the war as my duty commands me."

"Duty does not command you," GIlgamesh cautioned her. "To fight a war, to commit yourself to anything in your life, it must not be for duty, but for something more, something greater. Do it because you want to Astronema, do not risk your life for anything less."

Astronema firmed her lip, nodding her head solemnly to his advice as she understood his meaning. Gilgamesh nodded his head, satisfied that he had gotten through to his eldest daughter, and looked to his second eldest. She had a determined look on her face, and Gilgamesh marveled at the children Gilgamesh and Myrrah had raised. _Pains of the father are coming back to me_ , Gilgamesh thought sourly.

"Cyclonis," Gilgamesh hedged her on.

"I wish to fight in the war alongside General Karn. He has already agreed to educate me in the matters of war, a subject mother has began to instruct me under alongside my administrative education. I believe practically knowledge may assist me in my future governance of the Horde," Cyclonis recited to him. Gilgamesh glanced at his wife, and a part of him knew that his daughter had received the speech from her mother.

The Emperor breathed in deeply and nodded his head. "All sound reasons, ones that I cannot take away from you, since you are to be the next Queen Myrrah. I ask only that you watch over yourself. Your life is more precious in only that you are in charge of an entire species," Gilgamesh told her.

"And that I am also your daughter," Cyclonis stated, a small smile on her face. It had an inkling to her more insidious nature but it was also a more sheepish, pure, smile of a daughter beaming in pride to her father. Gilgamesh wondered at his daughter for a moment, then felt the brief spring of pride as the emotions and memories of this vessel surged up in him.

"Indeed," Gilgamesh stated, his face a blank mask, though there was a crinkle on the edges of his eyes. "Now, tell me what is it that the both of you plan to do?"

Astronema looked to her younger sister, and knew that she would be the one to lead this discussion. "Do you know the current invasion plan?" She asked.

"Assume I do not," Gilgamesh told her.

She nodded her head. "The current battle plan is to make small micro jumps through Ryndellia, Zhar, Llanic and Mon Gazza, to have a straight access way to Christophsis, Rodia, and Geonosis. I am to lead a small force into Rodia to disrupt government movements and to create a favorable position for Imperial forces to siege the planet."

"Then go with caution," Gilgamesh said. "Your mission carries with it a great weight. That route would give us access to Rishi and the Corellian space lane, if we lose control of Rodia, the Imperial advance has the chance to stall, lest we open more fronts." Astronema nodded grimly in understanding. "And what of you Cyclonis."

"I wish to take Geonosis, the Geonosians interest me and I wonder...," she glanced at Myrrah at this. "If it would be possible for us to integrate these Geonosians into the Horde." Gilgamesh paused, glancing to his wife for confirmation. Myrrah, to her credit, seemed to be contemplating the idea seriously.

"Perhaps. If they have a Queen we would need to breed that out from them and wrest control connection from her. We would also need to breed out any unwanted traits and improve their genes. It is a most commendable effort my daughter," Myrrah stated. Gilgamesh could see some of the colour drain from Cyclonis' face, as she suddenly realised it was now her duty to ensure the Geonosians seamless integration into the horde.

She gulped and nodded her head. "Yes, mother." Gilgamesh rose to his full height, and Myrrah followed after him, the looks on both their faces as that of supporting parents. Like a father, Gilgamesh reached forward and cupped both the cheeks of his daughters as he planted a kiss on their foreheads.

"I ask only that you all return to me, even if such a wish is unbecoming of me," Gilgamesh stated. His daughters nodded their heads, twin looks of solemnity on their faces. _It seems they took after me in that regard_ , Gilgamesh thought wryly.

"Of course father," Astronema said, bowing her head as thought to hide her face. Gilgamesh noted Cyclonis biting her lip, and he turned to her, making sure his silks made some noise as he did so.

Startled, Cyclonis looked to him, her mouth already opened to dismiss his worries, but one look at his face made her resolve cumple. Gilgamesh was proud of his 'bitch face' and there was only one other in the whole multiverse who could beat his face, and that was an unfair matchup to begin with.

"What is it, Cyclonis?" The young teenager hesitated then withered under her father's stare.

"I worry, father...about Finn and Pacifica, Finn most of all," Cyclonis stated. That caught him at a surprise, and by the look on Myrrah's face, she too hadn't expected that from her daughter. The Golden Emperor, at a lost as to what to say, grunted.

"I see, worry of your siblings is good," Gilgamesh said, his mind at a blank. He wrapped his arms around Cyclonis' shoulder and hugged her to his chest, holding it for a few seconds, before letting go of her. "Now you must leave. War waits for no one, and most assuredly not for royals." The two daughters bowed one last time to Gilgamesh, their postured almost exact replicas of Myrrah's earlier one, and disappeared out of the room. Sighing in exhaustion and tiredness, he turned to look at his wife. "That was...a most _excruciating_ talk."

Myrrah smiled obliquely at him. She reached out to lay a hand on his arm. "You did well, my husband," she stated.

"I would most assuredly hope so," Gilgamesh stated and leaned in close to lay a kiss on his wife's lips. She reciprocated, pushing herself up against him in order to deepen it, turning a chaste tasteful kiss into a passionate battle between the both of them. But they stopped before they could go any further, by the sheer will of their own ride as monarchs, they could not allow themselves to engage the throes of passion in a place as open as their royal chambers in the senate building. "Back to the palace then?"

Myrrah smiled and placed a hand on his chest. "No," she said simply and left the room, laughing quietly when Gilgamesh blinked in surprise at her retreating back.

0o0o **The Galaxy is My Game** o0o0

Padme felt her throat constrict as she pleaded with the senate again. "There is every evidence to suggest that Naboo bears the brunt of the Empire's attacks. If that is true then isn't is obvious for the Republic to concentrate their forces in freeing Naboo, and thereby wrest the entrance to the breach in Republic Space from the Empire?" Padme's voice cut straight through the chasm like a hot knife, and as veteran as a politician that she was, she knew that her play had won her only some sympathy from the senate.

The Empire was still a new threat to them, and if anything, was considered a moderate one in comparison to the Separatist War that the Republic was dealing with. All their sympathy had dried up at the start of the war, and nobody was willing to support Naboo, for fear of then becoming a victim of Republic patrols guarding their homes be reassigned to taking back Naboo. It was survival of their own interest now in the Clone Wars and that was a few quiet moments of mourning was all they could offer her.

Palpatine, her kinsmen and the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, seemed sympathetic to her plight as he pushed his cart forward onto the stand. "Truly this is a shocking revelation for us all. I daresay none could have predicted the arrival of the Empire, not even the ever aware Jedi had noticed them until it was too late. But we must not falter in the face of this adversity and strike back, proving that democracy will always triumph over the rule of a despot."

The Neimoidian cart darted forward, the senator looking entirely perplexed at the idea. "Need we not remind the senate that Neimoidia is suffering a food shortage caused by Separatist blockades of our home system? Republic citizens are starving and dying in _this_ war first and foremost, and we owe it to them to focus our attention on our immediate threat. So far the Imperials have made no move, but I do not say they will remain idle for long. But before we contemplate fighting another war we must prepare! My own people are dying and the war had only been ongoing for a month! What is to say of a year fighting _two_ enemies at once."

The senators began to murmur among each other, their voices indecisive and worried for their future unity, fractured as it was already, in facing this new enemy. Padme felt her heart sink, as she knew she could not fault them for their thoughts. Their homes were in just as much peril, and with everyday the Separatist menace encroached more and more into Republic space as the GAR scrambled to intercept them, often times too late to make a difference.

"What do the Jedi have to say on this matter, Master Yoda?" Padme looked down to see the green diminutive Jedi get forcefully ejected into the center stand. The Master Jedi looked grimly at all sides of the senate, before drawing in a resigned breath.

"Afraid of this enemy, we Jedi are not. Dark in the force, this Empire is. In that, wary we are," Yoda stated, his cane wobbling as he strode forward to the light. "Victorious, this enemy is, taking Naboo, great joy for them. March to Coruscant, I do believe they will, from Naboo, they will strike."

"Do you see? If we are not careful, the war with the Separatist might not matter entirely at all. If we focus our sole attention on battling one foe, we open up a lane for the enemy at our backs."

"Then why do we not remove one enemy and gain one friend?" The tall Jedi behind Master Yoda, Master Plo-Koon, said as he steepled his fingers together. "Why do we not seek peace with the Separatist Alliance, granting them the peace they seek, in exchange for cooperation in battling this new foe."

"I second that," the Neimoidian senator stated, "Why allow this petty squabble to go on any longer, and instead focus our efforts into fighting off this new foreign and unknown enemy. We should open up negotiations now, so that we may make all possible haste to rally against this new enemy with our combined armies!" Padme could see the wisdom in the Neimoidians words, but sadly his desperation was clear, and while sane, the manner of his tone did not sit well with most people.

"You wish us to bend the knee to the terrorists that have been attacking our homes, claiming our worlds from us? These Separatists that continuously threaten the lives of us and everyone around us since their very foundation! Are you mad senator? All we would do is give them more power, and soon enough they would overtake the Republic!" Cries and exclamations of agreement and opposition rose in the ranks of the senate, and Padme looked on, dismayed at the squabbling Republic worlds, each vying for their word above others.

The Vice-Chancellor called for order, and the assembly quieted, their gazes turning back to look at their Supreme Chancellor. "I think it is time for us to call a short recess before placing the matter of Naboo to a vote."

The senate was adjourned, with the senators leaving the chambers with quiet mutterings trailing behind them. Padme sighed audibly, her eyes closed as she turned her back to the senate chambers and left the room. Outside Lieutenant Uno, her Clone Coruscant Guard, stepped to her side with a datapad in his hands.

"Senator Bail Organa wishes to speak with you, Senator Amidala, he says it's an issue regarding the Naboo occupation," Uno told her, his quick, sturdy, movements a testament to his training and his serious demeanor. Padme liked Uno, for the simple fact that if she asked something of him, he would get it down, sometimes bawling over problematic senators in the way. In that, she found Uno much like a certain Jedi she was enamored with.

"Thank you Lieutenant, what's my schedule for the day. If I remember correctly, I am soon to meet Senator Riyo Chuchi in my office?" Padme asked as she strode down the senate halls.

"Indeed Ma'am. I've notified the senator that you may be late to the meeting, she replied that she has no problem with a delay, only that her matter is not nearly as important as anything pertaining to Naboo," Uno told her. Padme thanked Uno graciously, and the Clone seemed to beam with pride over the praise.

 _They're like boys_. Padme pushed the unsettling thought from her mind as she entered Bail's room, Uno stopping by the side of the door to stand on guard. "Senator Bail," Padme greeted warmly, her patented "Warm-Padme" smile on her face as she regarded her old friend.

"Amidala," Bail greeted, the same warm smile on his face as he stepped towards her. A pained and worried look overcame him though when he reached her. "The tragedy of Naboo, I'm sorry, I shouldn't call it that way."

Padme's smile waned but she refused to allow it to drop from her face. "Don't be. From my communications with Neeyutnee, she has taken refuge with the Gungan people, and the Gungan Grand Army is holding the Imperial Army back, for now at least. With luck Republic forces will be able to arrive and relieve the beleaguered Gungan forces before the Imperials manage to break into the Gungan lines."

"I hope so too," Bail said sympathetically. "There is a great deal we are shrouded in regarding this Empire. It troubles that we never discovered them, especially since their borders are so close to our own."

"It troubles me as well, I assure you," Padme replied, understanding his feelings. "Perhaps if the Republic had launched more exploratory mission into wild space we might have encountered them sooner...however, that does not change our current predicament."

"I understand Senator Amidala," Bail replied reassuringly. "Alderaan will support Naboo whenever she calls for it. You will have my vote in the coming session, worry not about that."

"And you will have mine as well," Riyo Chuchi said as she strode into the room, a smile on her face as she accepted a welcoming hug from Padme. "It pains me to see such indecision among our senators at such a tumultuous time. It reminds us of why the Separatist left the Republic."

"It reminds us, but never credits them. The Separatist are outliers looking to solidify their own rule and bleed the Republic dry," Bail cautioned, his tone strong. Riyo nodded her head, her hands clasped in front of her as she looked to the ground in sadness.

"That is true as well. I have had a lot to think about, since the news of the invasion on Naboo. Primarily on the Republic and the Separatist, our common ground and our differences," Riyo admitted.

"You want the Republic to ally themselves to the Separatist, to fight back the Empire together?" Amidala asked, already having caught onto what she was implying.

"Not a popular decision," Bail commented.

Riyo could not argue that point and nodded her head. "Undoubtedly. But the Separatist Alliance are not so different from the Republic. They too have a democracy, though there is always the question of the corporations it has under its ranks." She shook her head. "All the Separatists want is independence from the Republic, which in all cases, shouldn't be an issue. If we mend the bridge between the Separatist and the Republic, we could help each other more together than the galaxy had benefitted from centuries of a single Republic entity."

"But the Separatists are terrorists," Bail told her. "They enacted several terrorist activities all throughout Republic space before they declared their will to secede. The amount of bad blood several members of the Republic senate have with CIS runs deep, to the point that we may have to account for another rebellion if we even consider peaceful negotiations with the Separatists."

Riyo bowed her head. "I understand that very well, but as leaders, shouldn't it be our duty to put aside our differences for the greater good?"

Padme nodded her head approvingly. "I agree, the Empire is the bigger threat now. I know of someone who may help with that. Mina Bonteri is the person I can put my life on the line for if it ever came down to it. She serves as a Senator in the Separatist Senate, and I know she has enough clout to sue for a peace treaty."

Bail sighed, nodding his head as he thought about their words. "Yes, it does sound feasible. I will hold the front here then, Senator Amidala, and I shall inform Mon Mothma over the decision as well. With luck we can gain enough support to see this through."

"I would hope so as well," Padme said, a determined look in her eye.

 **Just to answer a question. The characters in my story aren't all the same characters they were derived from. There will be changes and differences in how they behave while still maintaining a snippet of the original core. There's also the lore of the Empire that affects their characters now.**


	5. Chapter 5

The first week of the war was marked with some of the most hectic fighting of the Clone Wars. The Imperial War Machine, the most impressive one of the three governments currently at war with each other, rolled out four fully dedicated fleets intent on crushing any resistance from the enemy. The Ryndellian System quickly fell into Imperial control, with Ryndellia being bombarded into submission and the Ryndellian Medical Facility being taken over by Imperial soldiers.

The wounded Clone soldiers were summarily executed or taken prisoner, depending on their level of defiance. While this was happening, the Grand Gungan army was being forced to bend the knee. Imperial forces, bolstered by Sangheili legions, Muton Shocktroopers, and Asari Commandos, all laid siege on the Gungan City, bombarding major population zones and infiltrating their grounds, capturing territory after territory. Eventually the Gungan people surrendered when the Naboo Queen chose to peacefully bow her head to the Empire.

Republic forces, spurred by the recent Imperial advances, shipped out a total of one point nine million Clone Troopers to the frontline. Three Jedi Generals had been assigned to the Ryloth campaign, fully intent in taking back the strategic zone before Imperial Forces reached this far into the Rim. CIS fleets and ships, more numerous than their GAR counterparts, chose to ignore the Imperial Forces for now instead focusing on consolidating their forces and pushing towards Coruscant for an easier, quicker win.

Of course, the Imperial Army was at war, and when they went to war, they went for total war. Such was the thought Vtas Duree, Sangheili Admiral to the First Imperial War Fleet, who had been tasked with the mission of chasing down a CIS convoy fleet traveling around the Ryndellian Systems. Vtas was a stockily built military Sangheili warrior. His lifelong oath to the Imperial Army was everything that defined him, and as it stood, he was the youngest Admiral among the Sangheili to have ever lived. These accomplishments were his pride. So he knew that his actions in the start of this war would define the action and duties he would be given in its entirety. If he failed, he could not hide from that.

"Status on systems?" Vtas asked, his mandibles clicking as he wrapped his fingers around the arm chairs of his seat. Several voices of his command crew, human, asari, or Sangheili filtered through and he grunted in acknowledgement, a soft pleased growl rumbling in his throat. His ship, the INV _Luminescent_ was in hyperspace bouncing around the nearby star systems in search of any CIS activity in the area, likely responding to Imperial aggression into Republic space. _Scavengers_ , Vtas thought distastefully.

"All green and ready, sir," a human female said as she typed a set of commands into her terminal. "Engineering reports some sparks on the reactors but beyond that power levels are manageable." Vtas nodded his head in acceptance and sat down on his Captain's chair. The space around this new set of systems is different from what he was used to. As a Sangheili Admiral, Vtas did not participate in the Xenomorph extermination wars that the humans partook in every year, however, he had fought against several rebellions as well as the odd rogue Protoss invasion into Imperial territory.

Vtas turned away from the screen and viewed his personal screen. Under usual circumstances, Vtas would have fleet information and statistics displayed there, but not then. It was instead a picture of his wife, an Asari by the name Glentha, carrying a young Asari child in her hands. Today was that child's birthday. Vtas felt the pang of regret and pain, and if it were not for the stonewall Sangheili pride and determination to duty, he would have returned home. But when he had been called to lead a fleet as Fleet Admiral, he could not deny it. He had a role to play for the Empire, and he hoped his child could understand that. If not, then he must only do his best once he returned.

"Sir! Incoming ships entering the system. Fourteen contacts in tight arrowhead formation. It's the Republic!" The panicked shout sent a ripple through the servicemen and servicewomen inside the bridge. They snapped their heads to Vtas, their resolve like that of steel as they awaited orders.

There was only one reply that needed to be said. "Battle stations ready! Tighten up formation, launch all interceptors, and bring up all power to forward shields." Cries of affirmative rang out across the bridge and the _Luminescent_ halted, its guns spinning up to life as they awaited for the Republic ship to appear. All around it several other Imperial ships took up a strong preparatory line as they awaited their foe to arrive.

The space in front of them stretched and four Republic Jedi Cruisers appeared, their sides facing the Imperial ships. Vtas spread his mandibles, caught off guard by the formation, but pressing his advantage all the same. "Fire!" Angry red lasers shot out from the Imperial line, hundreds of them with every blink, and they bombarded the Republic ships shields mercilessly.

They rounded themselves quickly though and before long Vtas had to growl as his command ship was raked over with furious retaliation fire. Four cruisers darted forward, their shields blazing as they absorbed incoming laser fire, and moved to intercept oncoming bombers launched from the Republic hangar bays. "Launch all fighters," Vtas ordered, his fingers coiling around his arm rest.

V-10 Azazel-Class fighters darted out from the hull of the _Luminescent,_ their smooth contour lines showing off how they could also fight in atmosphere. The V-10's clashed with the Clone fighter pilots spectacularly. Lasers darted back and forth in the expanse of space, small tumbling coffins of waning fire rolling off the battle zone towards the icy grips of space.

A wing of V-10's flew past the _Luminescent_ , their wings slanted to the left as they engaged Republic bombers darting forward to attack one Imperial Destroyer. The V-10's blocked the way, their wings twisting as they aligned their guns onto the Republic bombers. The bombers fired first, but the shielding on the V-10's defended them from the first volley of blue laser fire, and they dodged, torpedoes firing from their fixed wings to destroy ten bombers where they stood. A V-10 however was caught unaware and a Republic fighter darted in behind it, cutting down its shields and spearing through its engines.

The Republic Venators pushed forward, their turbolasers firing volley after volley. Vtas' _Luminescent_ buckled and rocked as the enemy fire splashed over them. Vtas snarled and pointed his finger forward. "Ram them!" He ordered. The _Luminescent_ surged forward, its engines launching at full speed. In the blink of an eye it had crashed into the lead Jedi Cruiser, scorching its hull with the reinforced head of the _Luminescent_. "Fire the MAC cannon!" A loud resounding bomb echoed inside the ship as a 600 ton ferric tungsten round was fired from the tip of the ship.

This close to the Jedi Cruiser, the 600 ton slug was more than capable of crashing through its shields and rending a hole straight through the ship. The Jedi Cruiser listed, concussive explosions rippling down its hull as its lights dimmed. Vtas felt his mandibles open wide in victory, but his actions had led to a predicament. He was now in the center of the Republic formation, with their guns baring down on him. Hellish fire rained down on the _Luminescent_ from all sides, and it wasn't long before Vtas felt the tremors from secondary explosions ripple through his ship.

The remaining Imperial fleet however was not to allow their flagship to fall so easily and the fast nimble Destroyers and Frigates darted forward, soaking up the weapons fire from the Republic ships. Now in close quarters, it became a slugging match, with each ship trying to pound as much firepower into the other.

Vtas felt his flagship rip and groan underneath the pressure and knew that the _Luminescent_ was lost. The regret and pain he had at losing his ship was great, and while customary for an Admiral to go down with his ship, Vtas was not vain enough to believe his place was to die when he was better elsewhere. "Divert all active power to shields! Launch all fighters and prepared boarding crew," Vtas ordered.

His crew moved swiftly to execute his command, with his XO the only one giving him a questioning look. "Sir?" She asked. Vtas grinned and pointed to his screen,

"That ship was leading, doubtlessly the Commander is inside it. A Jedi is worth more to us living than dead, have all combat personnel board the ship and evacuate everyone else. The _Luminescent_ will never see another day, but her name will be stamped in history." His exec nodded her head and moved to carry out his orders without any more interruptions. Vtas nodded his head and looked down onto his computer, feeling his mandibles twist knowing what it was he was about to unleash onto the Republic soldiers on the Venator below. "Royal blood or not, war sees all men as equal," Vtas muttered and waited for his crew to vacate the bridge before he would even contemplate getting into the escape pods.

0o0o **This Galaxy is My Game** o0o0

The Imperial Boarding Craft dug a hole into the front of the Republic ship, its drill puncturing into a main corridor and deposition a total of fifty Imperial Knights into the ship. From behind them their commanders stepped out and the Knights, hardened veterans, bowed their heads in slight greeting to their leaders.

Paxton Fettel Wade and Keegan Murdock Wade, the sons of Royal Princess Alma Wade, the sister to Emperor Gilgamesh, darted their eyes around the interior of the Republic ship. The walls were utilitarian, lit up by lights darting on the top and bottom of the hallways, and it seemed to have very little branching pathways. The Psychic Commander that was Paxton shook his head as he connected his mind to the company of 500 Imperial Knights under his command, The Storm Enders. With a few mental signals he ordered them to begin sabotaging the Republic vessel, and hopefully, remove the ship's ability to launch its escape pods.

"These men are yours brother," Paxton said, his voice a soft whisper. He gestured his head the corridor down. "I sense the Clones soon to arrive. You know your duty, and I have mind. If the battle with the Jedi proves to be a problem I shall call for you."

His eldest brother Keegan gave him a severe look but nodded his head in assent when the azure lasers of incoming Clone Troopers darted past his head. The trained and augmented special forces soldier pulled back, his rifle jumping to his shoulder as he fired into the ranks of the Clone troopers, no doubt moving to reinforce the elevator up towards the bridge.

His brother, so quick and nimble as always, caught three Clone's on their chests and dropped a Clone Captain at least a hundred metres further down the corridor. Paxton, knowing that his brother had this bottleneck more than handled with his talents, acquired the assistance of two Imperial Knights and began the arduous work of dealing with the remaining Clones that blocked his pathway to the bridge.

They were dealt with quickly. Paxton's psychic ability turned these flimsy creatures into red paste against the wall, and his Imperial Knights, bolstered by his psychic link to them, shot with accurate precision and coordination. The Clones, stumbling after the speed and efficiency of these three operatives, began to slowly retreat, realising that their only chance of victory was if they hunkered down and protected the elevator up to the bridge.

Suddenly the lights went out all across the ship, bathing the endless corridors in red light, and Paxton paused, his eyes flashing, as he received confirmation that primary power for the whole ship had been eliminated, with the escape pods locked as though the ship was docked at port. Paxton was impressed and delighted with the skill of his Knights, and decided to clap in delight for them.

He slapped the palm of one hand to the palm of the other, and six Clones crouched ahead of him had their bodies implode with psychic energy. The Immaterium, Paxton's most powerful connection with his psychic powers, rolled and boiled with want and need, but Paxton could not let his cannibalistic urges take over him, as he was unsure how these Clones would taste to him, or even what they might do to his connection with the Immaterium.

He sadly left the corpses behind and walked the rest of the way towards the bridge, his Knights trailing behind him carefully. The second son to Alma Wade was an enigmatic being, whereas his elder brother was the more transparent of the two, having been born and raised in the Knight Corp and thus a familiar sight to Imperial Soldiers, Paxton Fettel was a member of the Psychic Commander Corp, and though recently assigned to the Storm Enders, he had made sure to ingratiate his mannerisms with his troops through Psychic dreams.

The Knights would be lying if they said they did not find that incredibly disturbing. Even more so the dreams they had seen. Among the many Psychic abilities he demonstrated to them, he showcased his cannibalistic urges thanks to his strong connection to the Immaterium, perpetuated in the Inquisitor-run program of the Psychic Commanders, and his penchant for cruelty. Knights of old used to be hailed as prime examples of virtue and glory, but the Imperial Knights knew that those thoughts, while nice, had no place in a modern combat zone. Even so, the habits of their newest commander was terrifying at times and downright deplorable in others.

Paxton, able to feel and understand everything his soldiers were thinking thanks to his Psychic link, hid a bemused expression as he watched the corridors. They thought of him as though he was his mother, and surely these Knights would have known how terrifying his mother was. If his uncle, the Emperor, had been blessed with the Gate of Babylon, a physical manifestation of an astral plane within the Immaterium, then his mother had been blessed with a whole hellscape, a physical manifestation of her Immaterium influenced nightmares, at her disposal. If he was a force to be reckoned with, then his uncle and mother were forces of nature's wrath.

A Clone jumped out of the corner, a DC-15 in his grasp as he made a strangled cry of fear, firing azure blades in Paxton's direction. The Psychic Commander's armor absorbed the strikes and with a bloodthirsty smile and he crushed his fist, reaching out with his psychic abilities to crush the Clones head inside his helmet. The body fell to the ground, DC-15 sliding off its hand in a slacken grasp.

His Knights fired two rounds into the dead corpse for good measure, then secured the elevator area for anymore hostiles. Paxton stepped forward and stared at the enemy's weapon and inspected it. The grip was solid in his grasp and the collapsible stock wasn't of bad design, reminding him of a spas-12, but the weapon sights looked terrible and the weight of the gun was too light for him, almost as though it were a feather...though with the strength he had that should have been a given.

With a sigh of nothing better at his disposal, Paxton clipped the weapon to his belt and stepped forward towards the elevator. The Knights flanked him, and as Paxton sat waiting and watching, the elevator reached it destination with a ping. The doors swung open and azure laser fire sizzled and sparked ahead of them.

One of the Knights went down, his armor cracked and burnt. The next dodged right and crouched behind a console, a scorch mark on his right pauldron and left knee cap. Paxton, on the other hand, confidently strode forward and reached his hand out. With a loud clap the heads of four Clones exploded into a fine red mist. Paxton then jabbed his blaster in front of him, and fired aimlessly into the crowd.

The Clones, assessing his threat, backed away from the passage door, spewing forth a generous amount of azure bolts at his direction. Paxton discarded the blaster and rolled to the side. Taking cover behind a console, Paxton connected his sights with a long Trooper at the back of the formation and forcefully possessed the body.

Paxton's body slumped against the console, while the Clone Trooper's posture grew erect. He turned his DC onto his fellow brothers fired, downing four Clones with a deft pull of his trigger. Then he reached onto his belt and tossed a thermal detonator into a group of clones, rendering them into smoldering ash.

A Clone appeared from beside him and forced the possessed clone to the ground. "What are you doing Sideswipe!" Commander Wolffe yelled as he gripped the clone by the shoulders. The Clone looked at Wolffe and Paxton forcefully ejected from the clone. When he returned to his body, Paxton had a moment of brief vertigo before he heard the sound of a body imploding; a side effect of housing his much larger and denser soul in its vessel.

A strangle scream could be heard and Commander Wolffe stumbled backwards, the right side of his face burnt with boiling blood. "Get back Wolffe," a reverberating voice said.

 _Finally_ , Paxton thought as he spotted an azure blade dart out from the darkness of the bridge. The Jedi General jumped forward and blocked weapons fire from the sole remaining Knight. With acrobatics and speed reminding Paxton of an Inquisitor, the Jedi quickly closed the distance between them and bisected the Imperial Knight. He then twisted, force-pushing a psychic bolt from Paxton to the side.

"Curious, indeed. Are you perhaps one of the Imperial Inquisitors I've heard so much about?" The Jedi General, Master Plo Koon, said.

"Mayhaps," Paxton agreed, pointing a finger at Master Koon. "I have orders to take you alive Jedi. Surrender peacefully and your Clones will not die."

The Jedi Master seemed to consider it and after a moment, while the remaining Clones were gathering their blasters at Paxton's head, the Jedi General shook his head. "Your presence in the Force is the greatest I've felt in a long time. But your emotions are as clear to me as a tatooine sunrise. You speak only half truths, and your cruel nature precedes you."

"Ah, finicky Psykers," Paxton lamented and made a clapping gesture. Like last time several Clone heads exploded, but Plo Koon had managed to shield himself and some of the Clones nearest him with an application of the Force. The Jedi jumped forward, slicing the air with his blade. Paxton sheathed his body with psychic energy and took the strike, grunting in pain as he was tossed into the wall.

The Psychic Commander slid down, his mind reeling in the Immaterium plane as he feebly grasped at distant horizons. The Jedi lightsaber was much more painful than he expected, and he could feel that the Jedi had realised the Psychic shield he built around himself and had applied the use of the Force to daze and hurt him. Paxton didn't think the Jedi realised that he had briefly disconnected Paxton with his Psychic resonance with the Immaterium through the introduction of the Force into his psychic field.

The Psychic Commander brought his right arm to block the next swing from the Jedi, and then he fired a psychic bolt from his free hand. Round and round they fought on the bridge, Paxton blocking each strike from the lightsaber with his left arm sheathed in Psychic energy while firing psychic bolts in his other, and Plo Koon trying to get a beat on Paxton's movements, his connection to the force being muddled by the Psychic commanders interference.

The Clones, stunned by the display of prowess, shifted their guns as they tried to get a clear shot on the enemy. A twirl of the lightsaber met forearm covered in red hue, and Paxton kicked the Jedi away, lashing out with a psychic tendril that connected with the Jedi masters chest. The Clones, seeing the danger their General was in, opened fire, nearly overwhelming Paxton's shields. He dodged back and jumped back into the corridor, a grimace on his face as more bolts pounded his cover.

To Paxton's shock, the lights came back on all around the ship. His brother's voice cut into his headset, warning him that Republic forces had dealt with their hacker team and has regained control of the ship.

"To the escape pods!" The Jedi Master ordered. Widening his eyes Paxton rounded the corner, his eyes fierce, and lashed out with psychic tendrils. Four Clones were rendered mush but Plo Koon had lugged his lightsaber at Paxton, forcing the Psychic commander to duck or lose his head. The next moment the bridge crew had vacated into the escape pod, jettison themselves out of the ship and into the void of space.

"Curse my luck," Paxton yelled, staring out at space. He knew those escape pods would be next to dead meat out in space, as the battle was no doubt in favor to the Imperial forces, but even so the idea of his credit slipping from his grasp was wrankling. As well as the thought of having to face his elder brother's silent judgemental stare. "Keegan, call the men back, we have nothing to gain anymore parlaying with these charlatans-"

"New enemy contact entering the system!" A loud voice screamed back at him. Paxton blinked, wincing as he grabbed his ears, and stared into the distance to witness one of the largest ships he'd seen deployed so far in this war appear in the horizon. By the markings and aircraft surrounding it, there was no doubt it belonged to the CIS. The ship turned, presenting its broadside to the fleet currently engaging in conflict, and the next to Paxton knew was a fast barreling wall of light.

0o0o **This Galaxy is My Game** o0o0

"Cody keep moving through the city," Obi-Wan yelled, holding his lightsaber in the air to signal his men forward. The troopers of the 212th, his men, were battle weary and tired, but like the good soldiers they were they strode forward into the dense fog of dirt and soot to fire blindly into the mass of droids ahead. Obi-Wan blinked his eyes, trying to clear his vision from the haze as he swung his blade around.

The droids fired and fired, red bolts of hellish signal darting out from nowhere to take the life of a Clone each time. The frustration smoldered in him carefully, and through the force he calmed himself and channeled those emotions into spear that would strike at the droids. With a huff he cleared the fog ahead of them, just enough to give his men a peek at the droids, and the Clones immediately put the opportunity to use. Scores of droids fell within seconds and the beleaguered 212th charged through the smoke to smash pauldrons and blaster fire with the stragglers.

Obi-Wan smiled, Commander Cody hanging off his arm from a wound to his thigh, and carefully strode out of the ruined section of a Christophsis city. His unit had been the victims of fierce shelling from enemy artillery, especially now that several NS5 Adaptive-Single Combat Unit, ASCU, droids had been spotted darting the zone. Their coordination with their less advanced cousins and the bombings had led to deep casualty counts in the 212th and a lot of property damage. Finally the stress became too much and before Obi-Wan knew it he and six hundred of his men were almost buried as several skyscrapers fell to the onslaught of explosives.

With the streets packed with rubble and his men either buried or crushed, Obi-Wan had no choice but to try and vacate the city for a more defendable location. "Sir, there's an elevation point 65 degrees from here, we could set up a defensive line there and send out a unit to deal with the artillery."

"Not with those NS5s there. We're hunkering down Cody. This city has underground networks trailing miles, we can use those for cover," Obi-Wan responded and he carefully organized his men to head straight for the tunnels.

"But Sir-"

"But nothing Cody," Obi-Wan cut him off. "I don't know where Anakin is, and last I checked half of the 501st was on the other side of the planet when the attack came down! To add to this, our men are tired and injured, exposing them to even more confrontation is just inviting casualties. We are going underground and that is final."

"Yes, Sir!" Obi-Wan lugged Cody's weight towards the nearest opening he could find that led to the massive that led to the massive underground railway network all around Christophsis. The men of the 212th trailed behind him, their rifles pointed to the sky as Separatist bombers fought hard against Republic fighters.

Just one battle in a sea of others all throughout the Clone Wars.


	6. Chapter 6

CT-1297, Hangover, could feel the sweat in his palms as he set his weapons sight onto the Imperial Trooper just at the edge of his vision. The all armored, grey, and stocky soldier bounded past the forests of Rodia with a stealthiness that the Clone had learned to both respect and envy.

He squeezed the trigger, firing a sharp blue light from the muzzle of his rifle that seared a fist sized hole into the Imperial's chest. The Clone slinked back into the cover of the trees just as return fire raked over his position, a loud clatter of carbonized air and explosive blasts.

The Clone trooper pushed off the ground and hit the dirt running. His white armor, now painted green and grey to match the planet's fauna, darted across the open field like a flash. Two weeks of fighting in Rodia and Hangover already missed Geonosis. That battle was a hell hole, a thousand dead Clones every minute of protracted firefight, and newly minted Generals who knew barely anything about a good fight.

Hangover still remembered the screaming, the deaths of his brothers and the distant explosions. Scorch marked Geonosian ruins, scattered white armors, and grimy shifting sand in his face; Hangover remembered the Battle of Geonosis like his first blaster rifle.

The Clone darted beneath a tree branch and pulled his hand above his head, catching the attention of the lookout perched up on the rocky cliffs. Fitz replied back by allowing some light to glint off from his rifle's scope, and Hangover knew he was cleared to enter the cave, the primary holdout for Hangover's unit and benefactors.

He strode into the cave, his boots clicking on the uneven ground, and came to a stop just at the entrance of the deeper sections. "Tick?" He called out. A Clone stepped forward, this one bearing the same camouflage as Hangover save for a red band across his chest plate.

"Here, Sarge," Tick replied, thumping a fist against the side if the cave. "Checked the whole thing. Doesn't seem like we'll be getting any surprises from anywhere here tonight."

"Good," Hangover said with approval. He looked down the cave, squinting through his HUD so as to better catch his elusive targets. "How are those Commandos?" There was a bitter taste in Hangovers mouth as he said it. Rodia was no Geonosis, but Republic Intelligence had basically pegged it for the next invasion plan for the Imperials. They'd been right, and a small force of Imperial troops had already established a presence on the planet. But, due to how preoccupied the rest of the GAR was battling the CIS, Hangover and his small team of Clones had been assigned the duty of harassing the Imperials, giving them something to be scared of and run from, while the Rodians handled their domestic situation enough to attack the base with their own men.

But now they were being short changed by the Commandos, all shiny armor and genetic modifications, and it just didn't sit well with Hangover. His men fought good and hard, they didn't deserve to have the reward to their hard work get pulled out from under them.

Hangover gritted his teeth and let it slide, he had to. He was a Clone soldier of the Grand Army of the Republic, a cog in the machine, and as one he would not question his orders.

Tick tossed a lazy thumb over his shoulder as he responded, "They're in the back, discussing something with that RI Operative they have with them." The Clone shook his head. "They're all so quiet and hush-hush; frankly it's annoying enough how they made us relocate from our perch on the ravine."

"I know Tick, but we're all brothers in the GAR," Hangover said simply.

Tick made a dismissive noise. "Last I checked my brothers weren't giants." He shrugged his shoulders and pushed himself away Hangover. "I'll be outside keeping watch with Fitz. You deal with team broods and their tag along missy with the sharp tone." Hangover listened to the other man's steps disappear behind him, and turned his head slightly, his nerves shot. Missy with the sharp tone, or _Agent Ferella_ , was standing with her arms crossed by an archway, a dangerous angle to her eyebrows as she stared at Tick's back.

Hangover coughed loudly to get her attention, and hopefully to stave off any retribution on her part for his subordinate's lack of restraint. "Ma'am, I managed to create a buzz around the camp."

Farella uncrossed her arms and took a step towards Hangover. "Are you sure it was enough?" She said clippedly. Hangover felt that if that voice was used to reprimand him, he would more than likely drop dead then. She had that kind of voice, hard steel and unbending will that cut across as blunt and sharp.

Hangover felt like he was being looked down on. He tightened his fist. "Imperial patterns appear to follow a clear pattern, ma'am. After the initial disturbance - eliminating their cameras - they would send out a small party of three to four Imperials. If that party met with resistance, more soldiers would be called. I've scattered and forced the enemy to deploy as many Imperials as I could; this is as good as you're going to get without employing me and my men as a distraction."

"No, your team still has work to do," Farella replied with pursed lips. Hangover bowed his head, staring at his superiors boots with a frown on his face. "Well it should be enough. You and your men stand down, I'm sending Gamma team to deal with the situation."

Hangover nodded his head curtly and turned around back towards the cave entrance. But as he walked, his minute fumes over the Commandos and the RI agent taking the base from under him was soon replaced with doubts. Hangover seriously wondered just what were the Imperials thinking, deploying a base so far from their main force hardly seemed like a sensible move.

The Clone held an uneasy feeling in his gut that couldn't quite shake. How was he too? His enemy was large and scary, in fact there were two of them, and Geonosis had taught Hangover many lessons. He could hear the Commandos getting ready behind him, and without question he began jogging towards the cave entrance, picking up speed as he grabbed a channel with Fitz and Tick.

"Men, change of plans," Hangover said. He could hear the shifting of plastoid plates, the slight hitches and shuffling of his troops that signified their anxiousness. "We're shadowing the Clone Commandos. Agent Farella seems to think them our betters, but I'm not too sure about that. So, we're doing this off the records, just in case."

"Hell yeah," Fitz replied. "Let's show them over bred jocks that us normal Clones can pack a punch too." Hangover couldn't help but grin from his brother's enthusiasm. The Clone Sergeant pushed up from the forest ground and quickly gained a landing on the tree tops.

Hangover planted his back firmly onto the tree trunk, and watched the cave entrance. It didn't take long before four fully armored Commandos stepped into the light, followed closely by an armored Agent Feralla. Hangover slipped a cartridge into his rifle and turned back around, sighting two hundred metres with his rifle. When he found no contacts, he raised his finger so that the Commandos can see him.

They meandered through the path below Hangover, with one Commando even tossing him a thumbs up, before dodging back into the cover of the trees. They practically disappeared behind the trees, better and with faster speed than Hangover, he had to admit bitterly. He got a ping from both Fitz and Tick to show that the Clones were moving by the mountain path, following after them at a higher altitude.

Hangover didn't have the luxury of going up that way, so instead he dropped down to forest floor and walked forward. He had to be careful, because he knew the Commandos had motion trackers for up to fifty metres, and he didn't want to get caught before they'd even reach the base. So rather than try visual tracking with the Commandos, Hangover followed their tracks and the signs of their movement.

Again, he was impressed, there were at least four dummy tracks, with one added in haste for the Agent, at every interval. Hangover had to strain his senses and his mind to follow the correct set of tracks, sometimes he had to even abuse his HUD. The sniper followed after them, dodging past a creek and a perch that he had used often times to scope out the Imperials, before stopping by a tree he knew to be the border between Imperial owned land and Rodia territory.

As he expected, the first thing he saw was an entire squad of Imperial troops pushing through the woods in search of him, or anyone with his face at least; and for a Clone that meant a lot of people. The Imperials paused and checked something on their wrists, and after a while branched off into a different direction, still pointed away from the base.

Hangover felt relieved and darted forward, chasing after the last of the footprints. But his journey ended when the tracks led to open terrain, with an Imperial lookout watching over it with a sniper across his chest. The Clone bit back a curse, knowing that whatever method the Clones used to get across, he could not.

"Tick and Fitz. Do you have a bead on the Commandos?" Hangover waited for a moment, then got a reply from his men.

"They're in the base...agh, we had to use our jump packs to get a vantage point. We may have been seen by the west side," Fitz reported. Hangover snapped his head to the west and set his rifle on his shoulder.

"I see nothing," he reported. "But I'll keep an eye out, just stay on the ball. I don't like this." Hangover clenched his fist over his rifle's grip and waited. He felt his eyes wander, drifting towards the Rodian sky as the minutes clicked. Commandos did things carefully, slowly, and it'd be hours longer before Hangover would see them again anytime soon, of that he was sure.

The sky darkened with a flash of light, and Hangover inched his head upwards, surprised at the sudden rain that pelted his position. His armor was made of water resistant materials, but the droplets of water that collected and settled in the cracks and crevices of his armor made it an overall uncomfortable experience to wear.

"Ah, _fek_ ," Tick murmured through the radio. "My lenses are all foggy now. Equipment from the lowest bidder, bah." Hangover held back a chuckle and looked back up at the ramparts to find that no Imperial could be seen.

"Western ramparts are clear of enemies, what's it like on the inside?" Hangover called. There was a pause, followed soon after by a surprised gasp and some shuffling of feet. Hangover already felt the dawning icy cold fear on his spine.

"The base is empty! Not a sight of an Imperial anywhere!" Tick announced, his voice astonished and surprised. "What the _fek_. They can't all have decided to take cover. _It's rain_ , not a carpet bomb."

"Fitz switch to thermal now!" Hangover ordered.

"Agh, this rain is interfering. It's all cold, can't see a damn thing but the power packs from the Commandos." Hangover jerked in place.

"What about the trees. The Imperials?!"

"All clear Sarge, why?" Fitz asked.

Hangover felt his heart sink and sprang up from his position. He could hear cries of surprise from his men, but he ignored them and crashed through the front entrance of the base. His feet skidded against muddy ground, and he looked up in time to find the Commandos and an unconscious Agent Farella in the clutches of white armored droids holding oversized blades.

The Clone paused, surprised, and dove for cover, squeezing three shots from his rifle as he hit the ground. The blasts striked against the white droids armor, but they each took a duo of azure bolts before even the hint of scarring could be seen. Hangover rolled and dodged three white beams of light that raked over his position.

"Fitz, Tick, get out of there now," Hangover yelled as he ran through the base, trying to give as much ground between him and the new droids as possible. "It's a trap!"

"What? We can be there in a mome-"

"Negative! Negative! You will not! Go back to Rodia, warn them of a possible Imperial or Separatist attack by unknown droids. Do _not_ -" A sharp stab could be felt on Hangover's back as he hit the ground. His gauntlet's sparked off the metal grating and the Clone felt his mouth open in a silent scream.

He reached behind him and coiled his finger around the knife now embedded on his lower back. "Warn the Rodians, warn the Republic. Fitz...Tick!" Hangover felt blood splatter on his HUD as the white droids stopped just atop him and pointed the tip of their blades on his neck. The next thing he knew was white noise, then nothing.

0o0o **The Galaxy Is My Game** o0o0

"We cannot disregard the idea of a possible invasion, but the distance between Rodia and the current opened front with the Imperials is too large for any significant force to be fielded," Palpatine reasoned with a calm and practised tone. The Rodian senator seemed to pull his face into a look of consternation at the blatant dismissal from the Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine tried his best not to smirk as he turned to regard Mace Windu.

"There is wisdom in that decision. I'm sorry Senator, but the GAR have their hands tied protecting the Outer Rim against the secessionists. Our efforts would be better spent tackling the Imperials at a more immediate junction than Rodia," Mace reasoned, crossing his arms guardedly as he thought about everything he needed to consider.

"But they have troops on our soil! A base which they can use as a beachhead to launch an invasion of Rodia from!" The Senator cried.

"Not enough troops, Senator. Even without the GAR, Rodia has a dedicated armed force themselves. You should be more than capable of handling such a small force on your own," Palpatine encouraged.

"But we-" something off screen interrupted the Rodian from speaking any further. He discussed for a few moments, before a shocked squawk could be heard. "The heads of Republic troops have been sent to us, and the Imperial base has been dismantled and moved further away, up the ridge overlooking our city. Chancellor, why were there Clones on our planet without our knowledge!"

Palpatine felt a look of confusion appear on his face as he folded his arms into his sleeves. "I had not been made aware of this. What are you saying?"

"These are Clone Commandos Chancellor! Don't tell me you don't know!" The Rodian demanded.

"Those Commandos were more than likely sent in to deal with the Imperials on Rodia. It's possible they didn't want to risk any information leaks that might alert the Imperials of their arrival," Mace interjected.

"And that seems to have failed them! Now we have the Imperials bearing down on our necks," the Rodian said hysterically.

"Calm yourself, Senator. While the GAR cannot expand much in the way of a large military force, we can deploy a more smaller force. Perhaps a few ARCs."

"I need that base gone Chancellor!" Rodia stated.

"And we will have it gone," Palpatine said calmingly.

The Rodian shook his head. "No! It is clear to me that the Republic cannot truly be trusted to have Rodia's best interests at heart. Not only did you reject our countless calls for aid, but you sent in Republic forces into our home without our knowledge, needlessly endangering our people! I'm sorry Chancellor, but Rodia will solve our problems on our own."

"Careful Senator, you're speaking words awfully close to the Separatist alliance," Mace cautioned.

"I would never betray the Republic, but that is a matter best discussed outside of war, a war that apparently the rest of the Republic does not share with Rodia. Good day to you Chancellor, Master Jedi," the Rodian Senator clipped. His image disappeared, and Palpatine feigned exhaustion as he palmed his face.

"The Senator is just afraid. Give him time and he will see the wisdom in allowing the Republic to send troops to Rodia," Mace advised. Palpatine hid his smile behind his hand as he nodded empathetically.

"Regardless," Padme, who had been waiting in the room patiently, stepped forward into the light. "This war with the Separatists is pointless with the Imperials on our doorstep."

"I understand your feelings Padme, however, the Separatists are a threat everyone knows and everyone is afraid of. These Imperials are less so, and in fact, are perhaps more of a reason to fear the Separatists. Most everyone is vying to end the war with the Separatists quickly, militaristically and not diplomatically, as fast as possible," Palpatine replied.

"Be sure that the plight of Naboo does not cloud your judgement. The GAR is doing its best to liberate the people, but even that must be handled with care," Mace interjected. Padme pursed her lip, her eyebrows falling into a dangerous angle.

The Senator of Naboo strode forward until she was arms length away from Palpatine and continued. "We cannot continue to stall for time like we've had with the CIS until now. The GAR is barely large enough to fight off the CIS' droids, now you want them to fight off two armies? One that we know absolutely nothing of their capabilities?"

"Your words make a lot of sense, and I won't begrudge you that. However, the wounds between the Separatists and the Republic is still fresh. Are you sure you can broker a peace treaty strong enough to unite us as allies against the Empire?" Palpatine asked, looking down on Padme with a grandfatherly aura.

Padme bit her lip. "The promise of alliance would be far too over reaching, but I can guarantee an armistice if you allow me the time."

Palpatine raised an eyebrow. "You seem quite certain of your abilities. Tell me Padme, who is your friend in the Separatist Senate that has filled you with such confidence?"

Padme shook her head. "Revealing her name here would be too dangerous, however, she is my trusted friend and I know her well. Trust me on this Chancellor and you know I won't fail you." Palpatine nodded his head gravely and gave Padme leave to do as she pleased. The Senator bowed her head and left, leaving Palpatine alone with Mace.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of her being sent to Republic space on her own," Palpatine admitted.

"We can spare one or two Jedi to guard her for her trip, Chancellor. You need not worry. Our focus should be solely on the war. Republic Intelligence has discovered that the Gungans have surrendered to the Imperials and now Queen Neeyutnee is in the custody of Imperial forces. It's safe to say that Naboo is now fully occupied by the enemy."

This time a more genuine frown of hatred appeared on Palpatine's face. "The Imperials. If we only had the numbers we could drive them off Naboo and send them back into Deep Space."

"We do not Chancellor. So far, we've deployed two dedicated fleets meant to deal with the Imperials but they are all we can muster. Most other Jedi are busy taking back Geonosis or on scattered fronts all across the Outer Rim. Master Glaive and his Padawan Zule Xiss has been dispatched onto Naboo, but we don't expect them to be able to do much."

Palpatine nodded his head gravely and sighed, knowing this was all he could do without ruining his own plans. "Let it be done without dally." Mace Windu winked out of existence, a minute look of suspicion on his face as he disappeared. Palpatine smiled staring out into the skyline of Coruscant. Even though so many things were spiralling out of his control, some things was still going according to plan.

0o0o **The Galaxy Is My Game** o0o0

"Hold our position, have the hunting parties discovered all of the survivors?" Grievous demanded, clenching a fist in front of his face in agitation as he watched the wreckage of his latest kill. The malevolence drifted slowly in space as it stared at the broken pieces of warships, both Republic and Imperial alike.

Grievous had never fought Imperial before, but he felt the brief exhilaration that came when he saw their ships breaking apart and disappearing under the volume of laser fire that his ship spewed. The mechanical creature coughed as it stared with unabashed excitement.

"Almost, Sir. It seems they've dealt with the majority of the Republic escape pods, but the Imperial pods are made up of sturdy materials, more than what they can handle," a droid reported from his place. In anger Grievous reached forward and gripped the droid around its head, nearly pulling it off.

"Then find a way to break them open. Use explosives, pressure arms, anything to break them. No survivors!" He ordered and shoved the droid back into its seat. The General made a noise, and stared at the space in front of him. However he recoiled when he realised that he was staring at an impossibility.

There was a human woman staring at him from outside his command center, midnight black hair flowing behind her as yellow sickly eyes peered through the darkness of space. Behind her, two other humans were drifting, both of them looking surprised and confused over where they were.

"What the-" Grievous started only to retreat back when the woman literally _phased_ through the protective screen of his command center. She was a dainty looking teen, curvaceous and darkly sultry, the kind of temptress Grievous had seen Coruscant plays tell time and time again, but she touched the ground with such a lightness that immediately sent Grievous on edge. That wasn't the soft step of a fragile princess, but instead the predatory step of a creature on a hunt.

Grievous felt all of his nerves rise up in agitation as he stared at the black haired human woman. "Good evening," the woman greeted, smiling in a venomous way. "I am Princess Alma Wade from the Empire of Peace and Chaos, it is a pleasure to meet you."

General Grievous felt his body grow cold. His trained and experienced mind, one used to the horrors of war and rigors of single combat, was rendered blank and horrified as he stared at this black haired woman. Grievous was no coward, and it because of this that he knew he had to run away. This woman, whoever she was, was sending his highly honed instincts signals that if he fought her, he would die.

A lesser being would have seen a vulnerable Princess as an easy to grab captive, but for Grievous, it only seemed to amplify how much of a threat she was.

"You see, I was minding my own business, having tea with my brother as I often would, when I heard my sons scream out into the Immaterium. Now I'm here, and I'm very annoyed," her voice had been lowered to a whisper, so quiet and slithering that even the droids seemed disturbed at her tone.

"I am General Grievous of the Separatist Alliance, whatever you need to say, speak it and I will match it with strength," Grievous intoned. The pride in him kept him standing tall, but if he were honest with himself, he wanted to run. He'd fight to the bitter end, and run soon afterwards, but here and now all he wanted was to run.

"Hmph, how uninteresting," the woman said. Several red portals opened up behind her, large oscillating things that glistened with the color blood red. Grievous took a step back, knowing no Jedi tricks that could perform something like that.

Grotesque gangly creatures dropped to the ground, their lifeless and strewn bodies coming to life slowly and deliberately. The creatures turned their beady eyes on him, and there was a feral intelligence behind that; a menacing intelligence. The kind that Grievous had been raised to fear with all his heart.

"I can find no fun with him. Sick him." The creatures jumped forward, their long gangly arms bouncing back and forth on the walls like some sort of bolo ball. d forth like tornado's of monstrosity. The droids sprang from their feet, their arms going down to their blasters as they fired upon the monsters. They scored one, maybe two hits on the creations - each shot glancing of a ruby red shield that permeated around them. The creatures hit the ground and rolled, slashing at the droids with claws that can meet a lightsaber blow for blow.

Grievous lurched back and brought his stolen lightsabers to bear as he deflected and parried strikes from three different directions. The cybernetic General grunted, wheezing as he withstood the onslaught of attacks. Another gangly Nightcrawler pounced on his back, and he swung one of his blades backwards, cutting the creature across its abdomen. A red shield sparked to life between its flesh and Grievous' lightsaber and the cybernetic General recoiled as he realised these were enemies he could not defeat soundly.

Grievous pushed back on the creatures and began backing away. "Hold them off!" Grievous demanded. B1 Battle Droids marched forward from the back of the ship, and the cybernetic General retreated behind the safety of their metal frames as the Nightcrawlers focused their attention on the droids.

Grievous could hear the shearing of metal and the robotic monotone voices of his B1 Battle Droids as he raced through the confines of the Malevolence. The droids that were idly by reacted in surprise to their General running full tilt away from the bridge and in the moment it took them to process what was going on, the Nightcrawlers had already moved past them and tore them to shreds.

Grievous ran and ran, for as far as he could go. His metal legs aching and groaning under the stress of it. He hopped onto the nearest transit train and quickly set his destination for the hangar. In the back of his mind he knew it was his duty to keep the Malevolence active, but he couldn't risk it. Now with those monsters out there.

The transit lurched forward and Grievous watched the windows, his lightsabers gripped tightly in his arms as he knew what was coming. The light flickered off, the sound of metal grinding against metal ringing against his ear. A whiplash of air grazed the side of his face and he ducked, just in time to dodge a strike from one of the Nightcrawlers.

He kicked it away and initiated his patented windmill manoeuvre, forcing the creature back and create some distance between himself and his adversary. But he knew he couldn't keep it up forever. The next Nightcrawler to enter the train dove for his head, while the one after that one dove for his legs.

Eventually Grievous was thrashing about all over the place, foregoing whatever training he had to keep the Nightcrawlers back. The transit train lurched to a stop and Grievous was thrown off his feet, spiralling backwards onto the ground as the lights flickered off. Grievous paused as he waited for even the slowest murmur of a sound to be ready for. Whatever sound these Nightcrawlers made, they weren't making them now.

He slowly rose to his feet, checking the area around him. It was quiet, and dark as sin. Grievous felt the nerves on his neck stand on end, and as he turned he saw the women from earlier, white skin and dark hair, and she smiled beautifully at him; that beauty only seemed to increase her terror.

"My brother doesn't want me to kill you," she whispered silently, her voice bouncing off the walls as though it were a shout. "But I can break you long before I kill you."

The Malevolence became an apt named for the ship.

0o0o **The Galaxy Is My Game** o0o0

Gilgamesh nodded to the survivors of the Imperial task force as they came to in the shuttle bay of _Golden Throne_. The Emperor made sure to be gracious and dictatorial like as he waved off all of their salutes and calmly congratulated them on surviving the Malevolence attack.

The Sangheili Admiral had been particularly ecstatic to be in the presence of his lord, and had apologised profusely for the lost of his battlegroup. Gilgamesh told him that his service in face of that lost would be more than enough reprimand. It was no real harm done in the end. The Imperial Navy was larger than this small battle group could ever hope to be.

He felt his lips pull down into a frown when he felt the presence of his sister entering his own Immaterium space. He opened the Gate of Babylon and reached in, opening his hand in invitation to his sister. Through their connection to the Immaterium, his through the Gate of Babylon and hers through her Nightmarescape, she was able to grasp his hand and allow him to transport her to the shuttle bay; her two sons in tow.

"Alma," Gilgamesh greeted. His younger sister dusted off her scarlet red dress, and smiled beautifully at him. Her two sons both looked confused and nonplussed at their travel, and bowed their heads respectfully to Gilgamesh.

"Gil-Gil!" Alma responded energetically. Gilgamesh tensed his shoulders at the nickname.

"Alma," he warned.

She relented with a pout. "Well, we can't always have what we want. Here you go." She unceremoniously dumped the body of General Grievous onto the ground. The cybernetics twitching and crumpled body left a deeply satisfying feeling inside Gilgamesh.

"Take him away. The Balverines would be most interested in him after the Inquisitors have their way," Gilgamesh ordered. Two royal guards stepped forward and pulled the General off the ground, dragging him to a waiting stasis pod behind their Emperor.

"Your Majesty," Perseptus asked through the radio. Gilgamesh tilted his head in acknowledgement as he responded verbally. "What would you have us do to the enemy ship?"

Gilgamesh shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing to us. Destroy it." The sound of the turbolaser firing reverberated all throughout the ship. Gilgamesh crossed his arms as he felt the explosions through the Immaterium. The Malevolence wasn't all that amazing a feat of engineering, in fact, he was relatively sure the Empire could do one better against it. Even so, there was still a technological advantage in being able to study it, however, Gilgamesh felt asset denial was the more prudent option.

Wouldn't want to give himself too much of an edge.

"Well, I came only to make sure my boys were okay," Alma stated as she made a greatful curtsy to Gilgamesh.

The Emperor frowned. "If you hadn't told us of this attack, chances are we would never have been able to capture Grievous or destroy the Malevolence."

"I care nothing about that. Only that the safety of my children are maintained," Alma stated passively and curtsied again. "Good day to you brother. I have other matters to attend to. Do take care of my children until then." Alma stepped through a portal she had called forth from the Immaterium and stepped through it. Gilgamesh frowned at her quick escape, and breathed in a deep sigh.

"The two of you report to General Oliver," Gilgamesh ordered. His two nephews snapped salutes and made to quickly find the named Knight General. He then set his sights on a specific shuttle that they had brought in from the wreckage of the Republic ships lost in combat. The Golden Emperor watched as the Imperial Engineers worked to pry it open, even as he stared cold unblinking eyes against black eye sockets.

When the welding was done, the door swung down, crashing to the ground with a loud bang. Pairs of blasters rose up into the air, followed closely by the Imperial rifles in the arm of a thousand Knights. The orange skinned alien behind the white armored troopers rose his hand and got his men to calm down. The troopers reluctantly dropped their rifles.

"Enough blood has been shed today, it seems," Plo Koon stated as he stepped out of the escape pod. Gilgamesh could feel the rolling emotions inside the jedi through the Immaterium. He had sensed through the force not only Gilgamesh's presence, but also Alma's as she used her Nightmarescape to terrify and hunt down General Grievous.

The Jedi glanced at the stasis suspended cybernetic General, then back at Gilgamesh as though staring at something that shouldn't exist. Gilgamesh stepped forward, landing his golden booted feet against the ground with a resounding clang. "Enough blood, yes. A pleasure Master Jedi."

"I say the same," Plo Koon returned. "Tell me, what can I expect for me and my men if I surrendered myself to you."

"Your clones would more than likely see a fate worse than death, soon enough, and you will more than likely be forced to give up all the secret in the Jedi, or be made into a sleeper agent," Plo Koon glanced at him. The Clones behind him tensed and Gilgamesh felt the conflicting emotions, the anger, the fear, the acceptance, and finally the serenity of calm.

"Then you know what I must choose," Plo Koon stated. His lightsaber came to life in his hands as the Clones behind him took aim, their ends pointed directly at Gilgamesh's head.

"I know you Jedi fear more than you let on," Gilgamesh replied.

Plo Koon bowed his head. "You speak wisdom. A pity we met as enemies, I would have enjoyed your company." The Master Jedi wasted no time and no effort. He raced forward and striked directly at Gilgamesh's head.

The Emperor twisted and slammed his fist into the Jedi's gut. He rocketed away and into one of the shuttles. The Clones then opened fire. Three Royal Guards darted forward and intercepted the blows, not allowing even a single blaster bolt to touch their Emperor.

Gilgamesh instead pulled out a sword from his treasury. A nameless noble phantasm that could steal cause tremendous damage. He lurched forward and stabbed, spearing a Clone trooper to the gut. _Sinker_ was his name, now that Gilgamesh thought about it, and he allowed the body to slide off the magnificent blade as he stared down the other Clone troopers.

"Get to the General!" Commander Wolffe yelled, kicking an Imperial Knight out of the way. Boost darted out of Gilgamesh's reach and moved to join his Commander. All the other Imperial Knights watched them, not daring to intrude between their Emperor and his battle; and also in awe to watch their Emperor in action.

Gilgamesh shot a dagger from his vault like an arrow and caught Boost in the lower back, not killing him but wounding him enough that he landed on the floor with a thud and not able to stand back up again. Wolffe turned to him, eyes wide in surprise and horror.

"I need at least two living clones. One for the Balverines, the other for the Inquisitors." He reached forward and fired Enkidu from his Gate, capturing Wolffe and dropping him to the ground. All of this happened in the space of three blinks of an eye, and Plo Koon pulled himself up to his feet to stare at his defeated Clones with a look of horrible understanding.

"You cannot win," Gilgamesh stated. Plo Koon clipped his lightsaber to his belt and pushed with the force. The Emperor reacted, but couldn't fully stem the invisible force that slammed into him. He dug his heel into the ground and pushed forward. Plo Koon held, his arms raised in concentration as he tried to throw the Emperor off the ship.

Two spears launched free from the vault and stabbed straight through Plo Koon's hands. The Jedi Master slumped to his feet, staring at his hands blankly. Gilgamesh made a gesture of his hand for the Knights to pick the Jedi up. "You could have killed me with but a flick of your wrist," Plo Koon wheezed as he tried to flex his fingers. Those spears had a curse in them that completely deprived him of his ability to use those arms.

"I could," Gilgamesh admitted.

"Why not?"

"I'm not here to kill anyone, I am as much a servant to my people as you are." The Jedi Master lowered his head and he faded away into Jedi meditation. He could try to warn the Jedi as much as he pleased, it didn't change that the ship was shielded to prevent psychic abilities.

"Take him away, and continue to set course for Mandalore. We have more work to tend to."


	7. Chapter 7

_War on Christophsis:_

 **Separatist Forces continue to batter against the beleaguered Republic Army trapped on the ruins of Christophsis.**

 **Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi is fighting a desperate battle to protect both himself and his scattered Clone forces from the oncoming Separatist Droid Army. Meanwhile communications with Jedi General Anakin Skywalker continue to be jammed.**

"Put some fire on that flank!" Cody yelled into the COMM lines. All around him were two hundred of what was left of the 212th detachment on the planet of Christophsis. All the other elements of the Battalion was either missing or completely wiped out from bombardment.

His men were holding position behind a scattered line of metal barricades salvaged from the rubble and ruin of the Christophsis cities. If they needed to, the bodies of fallen brothers and comrades were also used to add height to the barricade.

It was messy business, but it was needed business. The 212th was nearly on their last legs. Half of the remaining force were on their last plasma cartridges, while others were using pilfered Christophsis single shot blaster rifles or Droid weaponry. At this rate, the Clone would run out of weapons to fight with before being utterly crushed and destroyed.

"Mortars!" The cry rang out a beat too late to make a difference. The telltale sound of falling ordnance shrieked into Cody's ears and the western flank of the encampment came apart in a bright blaze of fire. Bodies of his brothers flew in the air as the barricade was breached by the well aimed, deliberate artillery fire.

From the smoke and fog cast by the explosion, Cody could see a gaping hole in their defences, and beyond it, his HUD picked EMF signatured consisted to Super Battle Droid makeup. "They're pushing the breach; get some fire on that point!" Cody ordered.

His Clones scrambled, tripping over themselves in trying to stem the approach of the enemy into their safe den. But as they readied to start their volley of fire as they were trained on Kamino, three white blurs jumped out of the fog and smoke and landed in the center of the formation.

"W-what the!" A Clone yelled, frantically stepping away from the NS5 Commando droid that loomed over him.

If it was something that Cody had learned very quickly since he was deployed, these droids knew no concept of mercy. It reached forward and grabbed the trooper by his neck, and without missing a beat, it had crushed his windpipe like it was a plushy.

The Clones turned, diverting their attention away from the breach to deal with the threat. The NS5 droids reveled in that attention, Cody soon realised, as while they slaughtered his men Super Battle Droids poured in from breach and began to dismantle the defence.

Cody felt his pulse quicken. The air was thick with hot air and the smell of ionized flesh. The smell of his men dead on the ground. He pulled his blaster pistols and opened fire at the Super Battle Droids. His aim was true, as he felled two of the dangerous walking tanks, and then he dove for cover as a pair of them turned their blaster wrists towards him.

He rolled when thermal detonations bloomed behind him. A squad of his unit turned from the central final defense line and began opening fire on the Battle Droids. Their azure beams of plasma cut through the fog to catch glancing shots on half a dozen Battle Droids. But they failed to connect and the enemy continued to push forward into their defensive position.

Cody knew their defense was shattered. Azure beams darted back and forth from the barricade and inside their perimeter. At this rate the entire network would fall apart.

"Blast it," Cody cursed. He had no choice, he had to pull his men back from the barricade and hope the tunnels were still clear enough to keep his men alive. "All troopers, stand to! We are falling back! I repeat we are falling back!"

The COMM line was filled with the desperate voices of his men, their screams and demands of reinforcement. Cody gritted his teeth and filtered the information in his head as he popped out of cover and fired at the Super Battle Droids. The Battle Droids were holding position by the breach, providing cover for the clankers to move on through.

Pretty soon the inner perimeter would be filled with Separatist forces, and Cody couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. Damn it! Where was the General!

A fist came flying towards his left face, and Cody more felt than realise his helmet cracking underneath the pressure of the strike. He flew two feet from his last position and crashed on the ground, his back plate armor almost jostling loose from the impact.

Instinct drove his motion now, and the Commander flipped himself to his feet when his speed slowed and fired a random salvo of blaster fire. In front of him, a white NS5 dodged his attack with equal parts swiftness and equal parts predatory movement.

The droid lurched forward and wrenched his pistol in the air. Cody, knowing that he could very well lose his wrist in the droids grasp, kneed the droid in the chest. It loosened its grip, miraculously, and Cody threw a right hook.

He could feel his knuckles shatter as he met metal, but the Clone ignored it. His genetic engineering made it possible for him to ignore pain in extreme duress, and the Clone was not going to pass up that one small, clinical, gift from the Kaminoans.

The Commander swung his spare pistol up and fired a shot into the droids face. It reeled back, it's face armor apparently capable of holding from a point blank blaster shot. The Commander adjusted his aim and hit the exposed neck wiring. The NS5 sputtered as its limbs lost control, and Cody felt a brief exhilaration of satisfaction at seeing the seemingly invincible droid fall to the ground writhing.

His celebration was short lived as a second NS5 tackled him to the ground. The white droid sent a powerful strike to his abdomen, nearly crumpling the plastoid shell, and Cody let out a gurgling cry. He felt like heaving, but still, like his progenitor, Cody would rather die fighting than squirming on the ground begging for another inch of life.

Cody wrapped his arm around the NS5's neck, ignoring the protests from his muscles, and tossed the droid over his head. The droid tumbled, but it's flexibility made it so that it was on its legs in the blink of an eye.

Cody was sure he was going to die, sure as he ever was of anything in his life - and as a Clone that was a scant few things. Weaponless, bloodied, and broken, there was no way he could last long against his opponent.

But the next thing he knew an azure blade, the colour of his Jedi General, sprawn from the distance and sliced the droid from its hip. The thing seemed surprised, evident from its surprisingly human face. Cody stepped back, just as his General - the bloody 212th's General! - came barreling down the hill, his blade flashing in iridescent glory as he deflected the blaster bolts and force pushed the Battle Droids up against the barricades.

The 212th had only known Kenobi for all but a few months - _Cody_ knew the General personally for less that time. But Clones were soldiers trained to take every opportunity to win a fight, and not looking a gift horse in the mouth, they trained their rifles on the Battle Droids and fired.

They fell to the strikes, and Kenobi let go, then the General looked to Cody. Despite the despairing situation, there was a calm on the General's face. And assured determination, not fury or anger, but an orderly and passionate expression. The look of an aloof protector, as Cody would later coin.

"Cody," the General began - he always addressed him by name. "Get something to cover up that breach."

Like a flip of the switch, all of Cody's doubts disappeared. His General was here, his orders were clear, his place in the cog of this dreadful battle was now firmly emplaced. He was the Commander of the 212th, he had a responsibility to his men, a responsibility to his General - no other thoughts were allowed to be in his head!

"I need ordnance here on the double!" Cody ordered. The General continued to swing his blade, catching dozens of droids with a single deflected bolt. The Clones on the wall that had retreated now gathered around their General, firing off salvo after salvo under the cover of his lightsaber.

"Cody, the enemy is amassing by our eastern flank while we parlay with our unwelcome guests here," Kenobi informed him. "Our position is compromised! Take what's left of our unit and retreat back into the tunnels."

"We just got out of those tunnels," Boil groused as he ejected a plasma cartridge. A blaster bolt came close to landing in the center of his helmet.

"A reckoning for war is a failure of itself Boil. Have the men ready and secured; live to fight another day!" Kenobi advised.

"Of course General," Boil muttered, sheepish at almost having his life snuffed out.

A pair of troopers lugging RPGs took a stance by the formation. The Clones, as they were trained, quickly moved to provide cover, and Cody reached forward, gripping his General's shoulder to ward him away from the blast.

The explosion split the metal of the barricades, sending shrapnel and dirt into the air as the barricade fell and collapsed over the breach.

General Kenobi retreated, his lightsaber dissipating with a hiss. "Commander Cody have we reestablished communications with Anakin and his troops?"

"Not yet Sir," Cody said. His voice was dry and scraggly after hours of yelling and screaming, but Cody still managed something of his usual clipped and serious tone. "I've had the men on it for hours, but we believe that our comms are being jammed."

"We'll have to leave the jamming signal's range if we want to communicate with the 501st and Anakin," Kenobi stated. There was ash clinging on his face, and his eyes were grim as he rubbed a hand over his beard.

"Not possible. Dugout and Shellshock tells me that the signal is too expansive. The Separatists would have our heads if we trek that far." The Clone Commander stepped close to his General and pulled out a hologram projector. A small section of the city, with a particular skyscraper outlined, appeared in front of them. "They've traced the signal back here, Sir. If we act now, we can destroy the jammer and send out a call for reinforcements."

"That area has little to no Separatist presence. Why would they establish a jamming unit out in the open like that?"

"Could be a trap, Sir. They might be trying to draw us out and catch us by surprise," Cody cautioned. He shrugged his shoulders. "Either way it doesn't change the fact that we need to hit that jamming signal."

"Very well, Commander. Assemble a small strike force and prepare to head out into the tunnels. Meanwhile, have the surviving members of the 212th return to checkpoint Baker. Resurfacing had cost us far too many men; we don't have the manpower for another open pitched battle."

"Yes, sir!" Cody said and relayed the information out to the rest of the 212th. Under his direction, the Clones on the surface packed their gear and trashed whatever they needed to and began retreating into the underground.

Mines were dropped on the perimeter to hopefully slow down the advance, and by the strike of half an hour, the Clone Troopers were almost gone from the area.

Meanwhile, Cody assigned Boil, Waxer, Flash, and Sharpeye to the team that was going on the trip to deal with the jammer. General Kenobi would be personally leading the strike team, and when the last of the 212th disappeared into the dark tunnels, Cody turned on his helmet's floodlights as he and the strike team made their way to the building.

"Where are the Republic reinforcements? I figured they would have sent someone to help us by now," Waxer said, his head bent low as the rubble shook above them. Waxer felt the rattle in his bones as distant artillery fire shook the ground.

"The Republic are stretched thin as they are. Not to discard this new enemy that appeared on the outskirts of known space," General Kenobi said.

"The Imperials," Boil began, distaste in his voice. "Should have stayed in their corner of the galaxy long enough for us to destroy the Sepies. _Then_ we'd swing around to seal with them."

"What are they though? What's Republic Intelligence got on them," Waxer asked.

"Let's focus on the mission, boys."

When they reached their destination, Obi-Wan used his lightsaber to cut a hole for them to climb onto the surface through. "Watch the towers. You wouldn't want to be caught by those NS5s."

"Damn them. They're more of a pain than those Commando droids," Boil said as he pointed his weapon to the skies. The Clone Troopers spread out around their General, their fingers steady and disciplined, reflecting their General in his own temperament and battle readiness.

"Take it easy Boil," Waxer warned. "You're just asking for a jinx."

"Well, let's just hope they're polite enough to send us a notice before they try anything," Obi-Wan said dryly. He gestured for his men to begin breaching the building. Efficiently, they kicked down the doors and began fanning out around the room. It was stripped down and completely, save for a few Christophsians.

Kenobi moved in, his lightsaber off and loose in his grasp. He checked the corners, he checked the men, and if Cody could say anything, it was that his General was a lot more cautious than Skywalker. Capable and focused. The General made a gesture in his hands, not something flash trained to the Clones mind, but something they understood all the same. The General had made sure to develop his own 'language' with his men. It created a greater sense of cohesion.

The squad slowly pushed up the stairs, their footsteps as quiet as they could make it. Cody followed next to his General. He remembered the days when the 212th was simple an airborne Platoon, simpler times, but now it was an entire Battalion, full of Clones. One of the largest in the GAR. Cody remembered how Kenobi had worked with the Muunilinst 10 before taking command of the 212th. The General must have felt at home sneaking and working in silence like this.

They breached the third floor, after clearing out the second as fast as they could, and Cody swept his Blaster from left to right. He'd be damned if he were outdone from some overbred special ops guy.

"General," Sharpeye whispered and the squad reoriented. Boil and Waxer watched their backs, while Flash took up a corner in the room. Cody moved with his General to where Sharpeye was pointing.

A large jammer was spotted at the corner of the room, by the window, with an antenna pointed outwards. Kenobi narrowed his eyes and lifted his saber up in a ready position. Cody glanced at his General, pleased to see that his General could see the suspicious atmosphere in the air.

They advanced slowly, Cody keeping his Blaster pointed anywhere but the jammer, while Kenobi risked stepping close to it. He pressed a button on the interface and frowned as he saw some unknown script flash across the screen. He narrowed his eyes then glanced to his Commander with a grim expression.

"It's not Separatist, it's Imperial," he stated casually. Something dropped into the room, and the General ignited his lightsaber. Cody sprang around, firing his Blaster as a black blur jumped from left to right. He stepped back his sight disappeared as something collided with the front of his helmet.

He heard a clash of sparks and metal next to him, and the Commander rolled back onto his feet, dazed and disorientated. Outside he could hear the sounds of Blaster fire.

"Imperials! Take cover!" Sharpeye shouted. The Clone Trooper ran into the room, no doubt to warn both Cody and General Kenobi, but the Clone was instead scythed across his abdomen by a blade wielding woman.

The would-be assassin hunched close to the ground and spun her twin swords in her hands.

General Kenobi stepped forward while Cody scrambled to pull out his side blaster. ""Who are you? Identify yourself," General Kenobi stated. His blue lightsaber burned with a calm intensity as he shifted his stance to a defensive one.

The assassin glanced at the other room, watching as four Imperial Knights engaged and delayed the Clones outside, before casually sheathing her swords. "General Kenobi. I've heard a lot about you."

"You've caught me at my weakest it seems. For I've never heard of you," Kenobi said dryly.

"Why _General_ Kenobi, I don't doubt you feel greatly at ease with that. For if you did know me, then you would surely be running," the girl said haughtily. But Cody had the feeling that it was fake haughtiness. Even now, she was readying herself to attack again with the least amount of effort as possible.

"Of course," the General said dryly. Cody inched forward, his Blaster aimed for the woman's chin.

"Hmm, so what brings you here?" She asked. Cody glanced at his General, wondering if he would give up vital intel to the enemy, but the Jedi General shook his head.

"I have no need to divulge that information. I can only say that that jammer has been something of a hindrance to us for a while now."

"Oh, I don't doubt it. It's fine, anyway, you can destroy it." The woman said casually. Cody recoiled in surprise, and was about to fire his Blaster when Waxer, Boil, and Flash was tossed into the room, their weapons gone and two Imperial Knights aiming their weapons to their backs.

"Highly generous of you," Kenobi answered as he thumbed the activation switch on his lightsaber.

"My mission was to delay the Third Systems Army for as long as possible. But letting the Separatist win Christophsis was out of the question. As far as I'm concerned your colleague in the South has dealt with most of his opposition, and the rest is up to you," the woman said.

"Anakin?" Kenobi muttered. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'll bring this knowledge back to the Republic?"

"And do what? What I gave you answered surface questions, but inevitably you will ask deeper questions that you won't have me to answer for," she said. She glanced over her shoulder at Kenobi. "And call me interested, but I wanted a few moments to myself with the Jedi that caught the Lord Inquisitor's eye. A fine specimen, both as a warrior and as an intellectual. You should be proud of your own upbringing."

"Pride leads to downfall," Kenobi warned.

"Hmm, humility doesn't suit you." And just like that, she and her Knights disappeared in shimmer. Kenobi glanced around the room, and the Clones quickly jumped to their feet searching for them. Cody dropped his Blaster arm and glanced at Kenobi.

"Do you trust what she said was the truth?" Kenobi asked.

Cody shook his head. "I don't know, Sir. But it's a good idea to note it down." Kenobi nodded his head and ignited his saber inside the jammer. After carving out a hole on it, the jammer sputtered out with a flurry of sparks.

Cody immediately tried the COMM. Lines. The voice of his long time friend came back. "Cody? That you?! Thought you were dead brother."

"Not anytime soon, ner vod. The 212th has taken a punch we're unsure if we can come back from. Do you have any units to spare?"

"I got Torrent Company on the way to your location as we speak. General Skywalker will also be looking forward to reestablishing contact with General Kenobi."

"Of course," Cody said and dropped his arm. He turned to Kenobi, who was staring out into the Christophsis skyline with a inquisitive gaze. "Sir, we have reinforcements on the way."

"Cause for celebration, but why do I feel like we've lost the battle already.?"

Cody had nothing to say that.


End file.
